What is Kindness?
by KEleison
Summary: When Aizen instructs his Cuatro Espada to see to the emotional well-being of their newest prisoner as well as to the physical, Ulquiorra finds himself confused. What does it mean to be "kind" to someone? For her part, Orihime accepts his attempted kindness as genuine, but is she wise to do so?
1. Chapter 1: Feelings

**_Author's Note:_ This takes place shortly after Orihime was taken to Hueco Mundo.**

 **For those unfamiliar with Japanese honorifics (if you watch only the dub), I offer a very brief explanation of those that I use:**

 **"-sama" means "Lord" or "Master" (so "Aizen-sama" means "Lord Aizen").**

 **"-san" means Mr, Mrs, or Miss, as the case may be (so "Inoue-san" means "Miss Inoue"), or it may be used to show general respect (so "Ulquiorra-san" is more formal than simply "Ulquiorra").**

 **"-kun" and "-chan" (male & female respectively) refer to a friend or a dear one (so "Kurosaki-kun" would be like "friend Kurosaki" and "Tatsuki-chan" would be "my dear Tatsuki" or something similar).**

 **Please note that this is NOT meant to be a lesson in Japanese, and I know that there are far more meanings and connotations in the original language; I'm giving only a brief explanation of them as they appear in this story.**

 **Three other Japanese things that I intend to keep are the "-taichou" suffix, which means "Captain" (so "Gin-taichou" means "Captain Gin"), the Japanese word "Onna" (for "Woman") for when Ulquiorra speaks to Orihime, and the placement of the surname (that is, I'll write "Inoue Orihime" for Orihime's full name; in Japanese, they would put the "family name" first and the "first name" last). These three items I'll use infrequently, if ever. They don't appear in the first chapter, but they may appear later.**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Feelings**

"I'm coming in."

Orihime barely glanced back. She knew that it was time to eat, and that that was the only reason that he was coming. The loneliness; the emptiness here; it all threatened to consume her. She was surrounded by Hollows now, but somehow the hollowness that emanated from her warden seemed more profound than that of any of the others. Why couldn't he be more . . . more . . . human?

As expected, Ulquiorra entered the room followed by a Fraccion with a meal cart. The latter set the tray, cup, and utensils on her little table and left. Ulquiorra turned his deep green eyes – the only part of him that seemed to have any life – to look at her.

"Eat," he said simply.

Without a word, Orihime moved to the little table, her own brown eyes clouded and downcast. She lifted the spoon, not wanting to eat. She wanted to be alone. But she didn't want to be alone. Tears began to form in her eyes as she realized that she desperately, desperately wanted to be with . . . another person. As she scooped a bit of rice (or whatever this was that looked and tasted like rice) onto her spoon, she paused.

Looking up again, Orihime took a breath and extended the spoon toward the Hollow standing there. Ulquiorra looked back at her with no change of expression. For a moment, they stood thus in silence.

"This food is for your nourishment," said Ulquiorra at last. "Eat."

Orihime licked her lips. "You first," she said, trying to keep her voice calm. "Just one bite."

The other still did not move. "I do not understand," he responded. "If you are concerned that it is poisoned, then you are a fool. I have told you that Aizen-Sama wishes you alive. There is nothing wrong with the food."

"It's . . . it's not that," began Orihime. She lowered her eyes.

"Then eat," ordered Ulquiorra.

Orihime lowered the spoon and her own gaze as well.

"Do you detest the food so strongly that you would lessen your portion in any way that you can?"

"No." Orihime shook her head. "I just . . . I'm so lonely."

"What has food to do with loneliness?"

Orihime wondered whether she should even try to explain her feelings. She strongly doubted that this cold being could begin to understand. Still, she wanted to talk to someone. Why shouldn't she at least try?

"My friends and I used to eat lunch together every day," she murmured, trying to hold back her tears at the memory. "I guess I thought that if you ate with me, even just one bite, I wouldn't feel as alone."

"If you wish companionship, Aizen-Sama will send Loly and Menoly to be with you."

"No," Orihime shook her head. "They don't like me. And they're not human anyway."

"Nor am I."

Orihime said nothing. What was there to say? He was right; he wasn't human. No one in this place was human. Aizen, Gin, and Tosen were Shinigami, so they were a bit closer than were the Hollows, but they still weren't human. Orihime was alone. All alone.

"Why do you seek the companionship of humans?" asked Ulquiorra, seeing that she didn't speak. "You are one of us now, just as Aizen-Sama and his compatriots. They may be Shinigami, but they and we are now comrades-in-arms. You belong with us also. If you wish companionship, then ask to see Loly and Menoly. Or, if you prefer, I will request that Gin or Tosen visit you."

"I just want to be with someone like me!" exclaimed Orihime, frustrated at not being understood. "If you were living with the Shinigami, even if it was by your own choice, wouldn't you want to see another Hollow?"

"No," replied Ulquiorra calmly. "I have no need of companionship of any kind, therefore I do not understand your desire. Your emotions are foreign to me."

Orihime nodded sadly. "I know," she murmured. "I wish . . . ." Her voice trailed off into a whisper. "I wish I had someone who could understand."

Again, they stood in silence. Orihime's eyes remained on the floor as she struggled with her emotions. After a short time, Ulquiorra took three calm, measured steps forward, until he was standing just in front of her little table. Without a word, he extended his left hand and took her right hand – still holding the spoonful of rice. Using only the tips of his pure white fingers, he lifted her hand.

Orihime's eyes widened in shock as he raised her hand toward his mouth. His touch was gentle – not what she would have imagined – but his skin was as cold as a stone statue. It was less like being touched by a hand and more like being touched by a ghost.

Ulquiorra didn't look at her. He merely lifted her hand, lent slightly forward, and closed his black lips over the bowl of the spoon. Orihime felt a cold shiver pass through her. Without even chewing, he swallowed the bite and lowered her hand again. He then lifted his expressionless eyes to meet hers.

"Do I seem more human to you now?" he asked tonelessly.

Orihime swallowed. He had replaced his hand in his pocket, but she could still feel his cold touch. She bit her lip.

"No," she breathed at last. "No, you don't."

"Then there is no reason for me or for anyone else to share your food. Eat." With that, he turned and walked out of the room.

Orihime felt tears forming in her eyes again. Why was he so cold? Even his touch was cold. She rubbed her hand where his had touched hers. It had felt so cold. As she remembered it, she felt again the touch of his fingers, the touch of flesh. He wasn't a stone, though he might be as cold as one. There was a little softness there. His touch had, at least, been gentle. That wasn't something she would have expected. As her mind wandered over it, she began to wonder why he had humored her request, seeing that he believed it to be foolish. Did he suppose that perhaps it wasn't foolish? Was he willing to test it, as she had asked? Or was he simply trying to show her that she was being foolish; that he would never seem to be "human"?

Orihime took a breath to steady herself and turned to her meal. She knew that she had to eat it, even if she didn't want it. As she again lifted the spoon, however, she paused. Looking at it, she saw again clearly as his own lips had closed softly over it. The thought of now pressing it to her lips likewise was too much. She blushed and dropped the spoon unintentionally as another shudder passed through her. Biting her lip, she picked up the fork instead.

* * *

Ulquiorra entered the great throne room and bowed. "You sent for me, Aizen-Sama."

"Ulquiorra," smiled Aizen, gazing down from his high throne with a pleased expression. "I wanted to ask about our little prize. How is she?"

"She maintains her health," replied Ulquiorra. "I see to that. She swears fealty to you likewise, Aizen-Sama. I am content with her condition."

"Is she happy?"

The question was simple enough, but it gave Ulquiorra pause. Happiness was not a concept which he fully understood himself, though he had a general idea of its nature. To be able definitively to identify it was beyond his capability. However, when he thought of the woman's face from a short time ago: tears in her eyes and a catch in her voice, he felt comfortable answering as he did.

"No," he said simply.

Aizen nodded. "That is something that I would like to change. It is enough that she serves us, but I would like her to _want_ to be here, not merely because she has no choice, but because it is her heartfelt desire to stay. This is the true reason that I sent for you." He lent forward a little. "Ulquiorra," he said firmly, "I want you to be kind to her."

Ulquiorra returned the gaze calmly. Though his face registered no change of expression, his thoughts began to work. Kind? What did that even mean?

"I don't understand," he responded aloud.

"Humans require more than food, drink, and sleep," continued Aizen. "These are enough to sustain the body, but without joy, the soul within will waste away. I want her to have a 'friend' among the Espada; one to whom she will become emotionally attached, shall we say, in a psychological way. You already see her often; you provide for her needs. If you are kind in your actions to her, if you indicate that you care, then I believe she will come to see you as her friend."

Again, Ulquiorra stood silently, saying nothing. Aizen continued to smile down at him.

"That is my instruction, Ulquiorra," said Aizen. "Be kind to her; show that you care for her emotional wellbeing. Try to make her happy."

At last, Ulquiorra spoke.

"I cannot, Aizen-Sama."

Aizen blinked in surprise, and both Gin and Tosen, standing to either side of the throne, looked down at the Cuatro Espada in shock.

"Ulquiorra," said Aizen in a low voice, no longer smiling. "Are you refusing an order? I cannot believe it."

"I do not refuse, Aizen-Sama," continued Ulquiorra, unperturbed by the reactions of the Shinigami before him. "I state a fact: I cannot do as you instruct. I do not understand the human concept of kindness and caring. I cannot emulate that of which I know nothing. If you wish a 'friend' for this woman, then she should be assigned to one of the other Espada: one capable of the emotions you wish displayed. I cannot fulfill your instruction."

At that, Aizen smiled again. "You underestimate yourself, Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra did not respond.

"It is true that there are other Espada more capable in this sense than you," admitted Aizen, "but they each have their drawbacks also. With each of them, it would be insincere. This woman is perceptive, and insincere affection, if detected, would do more harm than no affection at all. This is precisely why I wish you to do it. You see, just as you cannot comprehend human kindness, so too humans cannot comprehend the concept of nothingness. In everything and in every place, there is considered to be something: air, light, space. The human mind cannot conceive of there being absolutely nothing, that is, perfect emptiness." Aizen smiled knowingly. "No human would be able to comprehend you, Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra did not know whether this was meant as a compliment or not, but it made no difference to him. He merely stood and waited for Aizen to reach his point.

"Inoue-San's mind will try to fill your actions and words with meaning. She is, herself, abundantly kind and caring by nature. If you give even a hint of being similar, she will fill the gaps – the emptiness – with all that is needed in her own mind. She will believe you to be genuine, because you are not insincere. You do not display one thing and yet feel another; you display nothing, and you feel nothing. Because you are sincere, because you are consistent, she will not doubt you when you show kindness to her. You, Ulquiorra, are the one Espada most able to fulfill this request."

Aizen ceased and waited. For a long moment, the two remained, staring silently at each other. Ulquiorra's thoughts moved rapidly through his head as he tried to determine an answer. Aizen-Sama wished him to perform a task which he was incapable of performing. Yet, in Aizen-Sama's mind, it was clear that he was decided: Ulquiorra _could_ do this. Indeed, he said that _only_ Ulquiorra could do this. But Ulquiorra could not reach the same conclusion. Rather, he knew full well that he could _not_ do this. To attempt a task which could not be successfully completed made no sense. No matter how Ulquiorra looked at it, he simply could not do as Aizen asked. It was not within his capabilities. Just as he could not turn himself into a human on command, so he could not simply create human emotions within himself.

"Forgive me, Aizen-Sama," he said at last. "I cannot. I have insufficient knowledge of the concepts of which you speak; I have no experience in them. This task is impossible for me to accomplish. I cannot do it."

"If Aizen-Sama says that you will," growled Tosen, "then your only answer should be, 'Yes, Aizen-Sama.' Anything else is treason."

Aizen lifted a hand to stop Tosen. Turning back to Ulquiorra, he spoke again.

"Perhaps I was unclear," he said calmly. "I do not order you to obtain her friendship. I do not instruct you to convince her of your own emotions. I merely want you . . . to _try_." He motioned to the Shinigami at his sides. "Gin and Tosen will both advise you on ways that you can do this. I believe that you can accomplish this. I believe that you will succeed. But even if you fail, know this: I will not judge you on your success, only on your attempt. _Try_ to be kind to her."

* * *

Ulquiorra strode back toward the woman's room, numerous thoughts swirling through his brain. Clearly this was another of Aizen-Sama's games, but now Ulquiorra could not help but wonder whether he himself was the object under scrutiny. On the surface, it would appear that he was gauging the woman's thought processes and attempting to manipulate her psychology, but then why would he use Ulquiorra himself? After all, surely any of the other Espada would be better equipped. No, that wasn't true. Noitra couldn't feign human kindness either, Ulquiorra reasoned. He doubted that Grimmjow would be able to do so, and Barragan would likely refuse, whether he was capable or no. Yammy might, but he was too stupid not to make a mistake. Aaroniero would be perfect for the job. Zommari likewise could surely do it with ease. Why would Aizen-Sama not assign one of them to do it? Ulquiorra could still be responsible for guarding her without having to engage her emotions. It made no sense. If indeed Aizen-Sama was merely toying with Ulquiorra himself, then the situation was mildly unpleasant at best and quite irritating at worst.

Regardless, Ulquiorra saw that he had no choice in the matter. He had to "try." Aizen-Sama would surely view it as treason if he did not do so. Armed with the dubious advice and confusing (and often contradictory) "tips" from both Gin and Tosen, Ulquiorra again entered the woman's room, first giving his customary notification.

The meal tray was satisfactorily empty, and the woman herself was lying on the couch. Ulquiorra at first supposed that she was asleep, but a second glance showed that this was not so. Her eyes were almost closed but not quite. She lay still, not looking up as he entered, staring silently at the far wall. Ulquiorra motioned the Fraccion with him to clear away the meal tray, then motioned the other to leave.

Ulquiorra stood for a moment, looking at her. For her part, the woman didn't move.

 _"Listen to her when she speaks," Tosen had advised. "Women like a man who will be quiet and just listen. They like to talk. They want you to pay attention, but you don't have to say anything. Just sit and listen, unless she asks you a question."_

That would be simple enough, if she chose to speak, but the woman did not often speak to him. Also, if listening was all that was required, then Ulquiorra had already been "kind" to her many times. Somehow he doubted Tosen's advice on this score.

 _"A gentle touch says a lot," Gin had said with an almost smirk. "If ya take her hand in yers or give her a light hug when she's lookin' sad, she'll see a lot in that."_

Ulquiorra couldn't help but feel that any physical advance on his part would be viewed as a threat on hers. After all, he was an Espada. If he were to attempt to encase her in his arms, he was sure that she would scream, at the least.

 _"Flowers too," Gin had added. "Girls just love 'em. Maybe Szayel can make somethin' like that."_

Yes, maybe he could, but Ulquiorra was no more hopeful of that than he was of any of this.

Deciding, at last, to try the effect of one bit of advice, Ulquiorra stepped forward to the couch. He sat down at her head and carefully laid a hand on her shoulder, not saying a word. As he expected, a slight shiver passed through her at the touch, and she turned her head to look up at him in surprise and a little fear. Not knowing what else to do, Ulquiorra remained as he was. Perhaps she would at least speak and he could then listen.

The woman didn't speak. She simply looked at him for a moment, then lowered her eyes again, tears forming in them as her lip began to quiver. She laid her head down as a tear threaded its way down her cheek. Ulquiorra sighed silently and closed his own eyes in defeat, deciding that he should just leave. After all, he had known that this was hopeless.

Just before he drew his hand away, however, he felt something that startled him. The woman, still gazing vaguely at the far wall, still apparently fighting back tears, had lifted her own hand and placed it over his.

Ulquiorra now didn't know what to do. Did she want his hand to remain where it was? If not, she could have brushed it away. If so, then why was she crying? She had not been crying when he had entered, but he watched now as a second tear slid down her face. It made no sense. Clearly his proximity had triggered this reaction, but if his mere presence was causing her pain, then why would she press her hand against his?

As he sat and wondered, the woman actually enclosed his hand in her own until she was gripping it tightly. The tears began to flow openly, and her body shook with her sobs. Nevertheless, the harder she cried, the more tightly she gripped his hand. Ulquiorra was confused. This eventuality had not been suggested in any of the advice from the Shinigami. He did not know how to interpret this. What was he to do?

 _"You don't have to say anything. Just sit and listen."_ This was the only piece of advice that seemed even to remotely approach the situation. But surely it wasn't intended for "listening" to her cry. Even so, having no better option, Ulquiorra sat silently, not moving, as the woman clutched his hand and cried.


	2. Chapter 2: First Results

**Chapter 2: First Results**

Orihime awoke the next morning feeling oddly refreshed. As she thought back over the night, she remembered having pleasant dreams for the first time since coming here. She smiled. She then remembered someone's hand on her shoulder as she fell asleep. With a start, she turned to look at the other end of the couch, half-expecting a somber Hollow to be sitting there. He wasn't. The room was empty, apart from her. Had he remained until she had fallen asleep? She couldn't remember him leaving, so he must have. She lifted a hand and pressed it against her shoulder where his hand had been. As she did so, she found herself smiling again, just a little. He had seen that she was unhappy, and he had wanted to comfort her. It was funny, really, now that she thought about it. He probably didn't know what to do. His touch had been a little awkward, but that made it all the more endearing. Her smile broadened. She had never imagined a Hollow doing something . . . sweet.

"I'm coming in."

Orihime gave a little start again, looking at the door as it opened. For perhaps the first time, she felt no apprehension at the sight of her jailor. The normal sinking feeling wasn't there as he entered. The emptiness that usually seemed to emanate from him seemed lessened also. Ulquiorra looked at her calmly as the Fraccion delivered her breakfast.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered quietly. "Yes, I did."

Ulquiorra turned to look at the Fraccion as the latter set out the small meal. Orihime lowered her own eyes to the floor. Yes, he was certainly different today. She could feel it. It felt . . . nice. Orihime didn't boast of her own common sense, but what little she had seemed to try to warn her: _This man is a Hollow. Don't trust him. He would eat you as soon as look at you._

Orihime's lips tightened stubbornly as she rejected this thought. After all, not all Hollows were like that. Her own brother had sacrificed himself in the end to keep her from harm, even though he had become a Hollow, hadn't he?

 _But he tried to kill you!_ her inner voice protested.

 _Stop!_ she snapped mentally, forcing her doubts to be silent. She refused to think of that. Her brother had loved her and had died a second time to save her. It's true that Ulquiorra was nothing like her brother, but she remembered his words yesterday, after she said that he didn't "seem" human even after eating a bite of food: that there was no reason, even to try. But clearly he had been willing to try, in that he ate the food when she asked. And then, he had returned, later that night. He had seen that she was still unhappy, and he had tried to comfort her. Yes, she decided; even Hollows were "people." Maybe she wasn't as alone as she had thought.

"What are you thinking, _Onna_?" came Ulquiorra's voice, breaking through her thoughts.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, startled. "I . . . I was thinking . . . ." What had she been thinking? Her thoughts were now jumbled, and they didn't make sense. She was thinking of her brother, wasn't she? No, she was thinking of Ulquiorra. Or was it Kurosaki-kun? Only then did she notice that the meal tray sat ready, the Fraccion was gone, and Ulquiorra still stood, unmoving. Normally, he would have ordered her to eat as soon as it was ready. Today, however, he just stood there, as if waiting for her to come of her own accord. She looked at him in surprise.

"I–– You're not––" she stammered. "Aren't you going to order me to eat?"

"Will you refuse to eat unless I order it?" he asked in response.

The question wasn't harsh. It was almost curious. Yesterday, her response would have been an emphatic "Yes!" Today, however, Orihime felt differently. It made her feel a little better that he wasn't ordering her; he really was trying to be nice! She was sure of it!

"No," she murmured with a slight smile. "Not today."

She rose from the couch and came forward to the table. When she looked down at the food, however, her smile faded. The meal, although the same as it always was here, struck her as unpleasant. It was nothing like what she would have eaten in the land of the living. There was nothing sweet. It was all so . . . so . . . boring. Almost sadly, she lifted the spoon and took a bite.

After she had eaten a little, she noticed that Ulquiorra was still standing there, watching her silently. Hadn't he asked her a question? She seemed suddenly to recall that he had asked something and that she hadn't answered. What was it?

"Did you ask me something?" she queried.

"I said nothing," he replied calmly.

"No, not just now," she stammered. "I mean earlier. I thought you asked me something."

"I did."

"Did I answer it?"

"No."

"Oh." Orihime blushed slightly. "What did you ask?"

"I asked what you were thinking, _Onna_ ," he repeated.

Orihime bit her lip and lowered her eyes again. What had she been thinking? Looking at the food, she remembered that she had been thinking of yesterday. She had been thinking of his actions, of his gentle response to her silly request.

"I was just wondering," she murmured. Looking up at him suddenly, she asked, "If I asked you to take a bite of this again today, would you do it?"

This time, Ulquiorra paused before answering. He continued to stand, hands in his pockets, staring at her with that calm, emotionless expression.

"Yes," he said at last.

"You said yesterday that it wouldn't do any good. But you'd still do it?"

"If you asked me to do so, then I would assume that you had some reason. I would like to know the reason, but that doesn't mean that I would refuse the request."

Again, Orihime smiled.

* * *

As Ulquiorra walked through the halls of Las Noches, he turned over the events of the morning in his mind. He was glad that the woman had not, in fact, asked him to eat of her food. He disliked this play-acting most intensely. Even so, he had to admit that it seemed to be achieving Aizen-sama's desired results. The girl was smiling. She wasn't crying. Why the change in so short a time? In truth, he had done nothing, other than to place a hand on her shoulder last night. Was that all that had been needed? It seemed so strange. Or could it be simply that Aizen-sama was correct, in that the woman would fill him, in her own mind, with her own predisposition? It was taxing, to say the least, this "trying" to be kind. It is true that he had done little so far, but he had always to be on his guard now with her, always watching and analyzing everything that she said and did, and always evaluating the possible effect of each of his own words and actions. He didn't like it. He didn't like it at all.

"Oy, hello there, Ulquiorra-san," grinned a tall, fair-haired Shinigami. "Ya look like ya've got a lot on yer mind there."

Ulquiorra glanced at Gin but continued onward without answering. Unperturbed, Gin fell into step beside him.

"So, how's the exper'ment comin'?" he asked. "Have ya tried our advice?"

"Aizen-sama may evaluate the results at his convenience," replied Ulquiorra shortly.

"Ooh, that doesn' sound good. So, it ain't goin' well, eh?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Oh?" Gin smiled at him. "Tell ya what, why don' ya let me come and see? I can let ya know how it's goin'."

"Do as you like."

"Well, it wouldn' be the same without ya there," protested Gin. "Ya'd have t' come along too, y'know, fer me t' see how she acts with ya."

Ulquiorra didn't at first answer. He saw no reason for Gin to "see how it was going," but he likewise had no objection to it. If Gin wished to evaluate the girl, then he was welcome to do so. Ulquiorra, however, had no desire to be a part of it. It did not interest him, and he knew that it would only be further work on his part. If Gin insisted that such an examination could not be done without Ulquiorra present, then the answer was simple.

"Aizen-sama may evaluate the results at his convenience," he repeated calmly.

"Ah, y're bein' right cold today, Ulquiorra-san," pouted Gin.

This time, Ulquiorra didn't answer. He continued on his sullen way, soon leaving the tall Shinigami alone.

* * *

Orihime lay back in the warm water, enjoying the feeling of relaxation. She had been longing for a real, hot bath for some time now, and she was so happy that one had finally been provided. Ulquiorra had not come when her lunch was delivered, so she had mentioned it to the Fraccion instead. This fully-masked Hollow had said that he would pass the message to "his master, Ulquiorra." It was about an hour later that a large, ornate screen had been brought into her room. Another hour and a tub was brought. It was nearly three hours after that, however, before hot water, soap, and towels were eventually provided. Now, soaking in the warm water, Orihime felt that it was all worth the wait.

It's true that this pleasure had at first made her think of home, which then made her think of her brother's picture, which then made her think of the night that her brother's soul passed to the Soul Society, which made her think of Kurosaki-kun and Tatsuki-chan who had both been there. These then made her think both of school and of her Shinigami friends. This opened a whole floodgate of thoughts which poured over her like a flood. Even so, as the hot water bore away the stress from her body, the thoughts and memories seemed almost to soothe her mind. Her friends were alive and well. She had helped to see that that would happen. And now, if she was able, she would help to make sure no one else could be hurt. The Hogyoku needed time to fully manifest itself, and she still believed that she could negate it entirely. She only needed time.

Memories came to Orihime of the many battles that she had witnessed and those which she had not witnessed but of which she had heard. She had been useless. There was nothing she could do. But now, if she could just do this one thing, then she might prevent the most horrible battle that she or any of her friends had ever seen. Yes. This time, she would help them. This time, she would not be a burden. No matter what it took, she would save everyone.

Noticing that the water had cooled to where it was merely warm, Orihime decided that it was time to get out. She had enjoyed this long enough.

"I'm coming in."

Orihime jumped and turned in horror to see the door opening.

"No!" she shrieked. "Don't come in!"

Quickly she grabbed the towel next to her and jumped up, wrapping it around herself. The door had paused in its movements, and she could just see the tip of a white horned-mask, but the wearer had likewise stopped. Not waiting to be sure, Orihime darted behind the large, black screen.

"O-okay," she stuttered. "You can come in now."

As the familiar, firm footsteps entered the room, Orihime felt herself grow hot with embarrassment, just thinking about how close she had been to the most awkward situation in her life. Really, this might still be that, she thought. She looked around for her clothes.

"Why would you still be bathing this late?" came Ulquiorra's voice.

"Well," she began. "They took a long time to bring the water."

"Why did you not place the screen in front of the tub?"

Orihime paused. Why hadn't she? Well, because she hadn't thought of it. Why hadn't she thought of it? Not for the first time, Orihime wondered what it would be like to have a mind that worked like that: that reasoned out such simple things without getting distracted.

Speaking of distraction, she realized that she still hadn't gotten dressed. Where were her clothes? She again blushed as she realized that they weren't back here. She had dropped them on the other side of the tub before she had entered the bath. Peering around the edge of the screen, she could see them there, lying in a heap.

"Um . . ." she almost squeaked. "Could you . . . could you hand me my clothes?"

There was only silence.

"They're right there, by the tub," she managed to continue.

It seemed a long time before she heard the Espada again step forward. She listened until she heard him approach the screen. She gripped her towel to herself, hoping that he would stop. Suddenly, her clothes flew over the top of the screen, landing on the floor in front of her. The footsteps then retreated.

"Thank you," she called quietly and quickly began to dress herself.

Again, there was merely silence from the rest of the room. Orihime could imagine him standing there, staring morosely at the wall, his hands in his pockets. Did he ever change his expression? For a moment, Orihime wondered whether perhaps he would have looked embarrassed himself if he had stepped into the room before her warning had come. She blushed again at the thought, but she couldn't help but wonder. She almost wanted to ask.

 _No!_ she told herself. _Don't ever ask something like that!_

Fully clothed now, she stepped out from behind the screen. Ulquiorra stood exactly as she had imagined: still, silent, and unreadable. He turned to look at her.

"Aizen-sama has sent for you," he said simply. "I am to bring you to him."

Orihime pressed her lips together and nodded. "Alright," she answered.

* * *

When Ulquiorra entered the little room with Inoue-san, Gin's smile widened. Aizen-sama's little experiment was certainly bearing fruit. It wouldn't have been noticeable to most, but Gin could see that the girl now walked closer to her Hollow warden than she had previously. She still looked around herself with apprehension, but not a whit of that fear was now directed at the black-haired Espada at her side. Amazing how quickly she had acclimated herself to him, and him scarcely trying. Well, that wasn't fair, Gin admitted. Ulquiorra could be trying with all of his might and still appear to be indifferent.

"Hello, Inoue-san," smiled Aizen in greeting. "Come."

Inoue stepped forward, clearly uncomfortable, but looking like she was trying to hide that.

"The time when you will be of the greatest service to us is quickly approaching," continued Aizen. "In the meantime, I want to be sure that you are well cared for. Tell me, is there any deficiency in your care that I can remedy?"

"N-no," Inoue stammered. "Everything is fine."

"The Espada treat you well?" asked Aizen, glancing at Ulquiorra as he spoke.

"Yes," replied Inoue, her own eyes on the floor.

Aizen watched her silently, then reached forward and lifted Inoue's chin so that she looked him in the eye. The girl shuddered at his touch and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Don't be afraid," he whispered softly, still smiling at her.

When Inoue didn't answer, he withdrew his hand. Nodding to her in token of dismissal, he added, "If you find that you are wanting anything, I hope that you will tell me."

Inoue didn't answer. She gave a slight bow herself and moved quickly back from him. Gin's sharp eyes noticed, however, that she relaxed slightly when she reached the Cuatro Espada's side. For his part, Ulquiorra simply bowed without a word and turned. The girl hurried to stay at his side as the two left the room.

"My, my," grinned Gin after the two were gone. "Ain't they quite the pair?"

Aizen chuckled. "Just as I expected," he said. "Perhaps even better than I expected. Certainly it is moving more quickly than I had anticipated." He rested his chin on his hand and mused, "I wonder just how deeply we can encourage it to grow."

"Aizen-sama," smirked Gin, turning to his superior. "Ye're having fun with this."

In response, Aizen merely smiled.


	3. Chapter 3: A Night at the Festival

**Chapter 3: A Night at the Festival**

Orihime breathed a sigh of relief when they reached her little room again. Aizen-taichou still frightened her. What if he was to guess her ultimate goal in serving him? She wasn't so much afraid for her own safety as she was for that of her friends if she should fail.

Her friends.

As she sat down on her large couch, she thought again of all of her friends, training in the Land of the Living. She wished with all of her might that she could see them and know that they were well.

"I wish I had a magic picture-frame," she murmured with a soft sigh.

"What is that?"

Orihime looked up in surprise. Ulquiorra still stood in the room, watching her. She had forgotten that he was there.

"What is a 'magic picture-frame'?" repeated Ulquiorra, seeing that she didn't answer.

"Oh!" exclaimed Orihime. "It's a special, little frame that lets its owner see any person that she wants. I read about it once in a book when I was little: there was a little girl who lived all alone on a great mountain. She would get lonely, but then a little bird brought her a picture frame with nothing in it. He told her that she could put any picture that she wanted into it, and so she would imagine other people, and they would appear in the frame. When I was little, I used to think about how much fun it would be to have one of those. If I had it now, I could see all of my old friends and know how they were doing. They couldn't see me watching them, but at least I could know that they were well."

"It would please you to see them, even if you could not interact with them?"

Orihime nodded. "I would like to be able to talk to them," she admitted. "But I know that I can't. So I wish that I could at least see them. I wish . . . I wish I knew what they were doing right now."

"You can, if that is your only wish," replied Ulquiorra.

Orihime again looked at him in surprise as the Espada stepped forward and drew something from his pocket. Extending his hand, he offered her a familiar metal ring. Orihime's eyes widened.

"I would have to accompany you this time," continued Ulquiorra. "You could not leave my side. But you could see your friends, although you could not interact with them."

Taking the little metal bracelet in her hands and staring at it in disbelief, Orihime said nothing. Was it possible? Could she truly go herself again and see her friends? Finally, she lifted her own wide, brown eyes to meet the rich green of his.

"D-d-do you mean it?" she breathed.

In response, Ulquiorra merely extended a hand to her invitingly and said, "Put on the bracelet and come."

* * *

Exiting the Garganta, Orihime gasped and clapped her hands with joy. All around her, she could see, hear, and smell all of the familiarities of home. It was evening, and the people scurried through the streets quickly.

"The festival!" she exclaimed. "It's the night of the festival! I forgot about it!"

Turning to look at her sober companion, she couldn't keep her own excitement in check. "May we go there? Please? I'm sure my friends will be there!"

Ulquiorra nodded calmly, not even bothering to respond verbally. Orihime smiled and called for him "Come on!" as she darted forward down the street in the direction of the general flow of people. She loved the festivals! She stopped twice to call back to Ulquiorra to hurry, but the pale Espada clearly did not share her excitement. Somehow, Orihime never considered trying to escape his vision; rather she wanted him to experience the festival also. Maybe she could even get him to smile!

In mere moments, they were surrounded by the lights and crowds of celebrating people. Orihime rushed from one sight to another, drinking in all of it. The lights, the vendors, the games, and the noise; it was all so wonderful. Thoughts of the drab room from which she had just come were driven immediately from her mind as her senses were overwhelmed by everything around her. She tried to get Ulquiorra to enjoy it as well, but he maintained his stubborn silence and stony gaze. Even this, however, couldn't dampen Orihime's spirit tonight. She turned this way and that, wanting to experience it all.

"Tatsuki-chan!" she cried, suddenly noticing her friend ahead of her. "Tatsuki-chan!" She waved and started to jump forward but then felt a firm grip catch hold of her arm.

"She cannot see you," the cold voice reminded her.

Orihime stopped, and her smile faded. She stood still for a moment, looking at her friend sadly. That's right; she couldn't see her.

As if to contradict this, however, Tatsuki suddenly turned herself and looked straight at Orihime. Orihime blinked in surprise. Her friend continued to look at her for a moment in mild confusion, then turned and walked away.

"Tatsuki-chan?" she squeaked uncertainly. "Can . . . can you see me?"

"She cannot see you," repeated Ulquiorra. "No one can."

Orihime bit her lip. She lowered her eyes sadly, but then spun around on an instant.

"If she can't see me, then I can stay near to her tonight and still be with her, can't I?" she asked all in a breath. "I know I'm not to interact with my friends, but I can stay by her side, can't I? She can't see me, right?"

Ulquiorra returned her earnest gaze with an indifferent expression before answering.

"Yes," he said calmly. "You may."

A wide smile spread over Orihime's face once more as she turned and dashed after her friend, calling, "Tatsuki-chan! Wait for me!"

* * *

While the many sounds and activities may have been exhilarating to Orihime, they were merely noise and annoyances to Ulquiorra. He followed the human woman through the crowds, taking no notice of the surroundings, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on her and her alone. It's true that he too had been mildly surprised when her friend had looked at her directly, but the other human girl had then moved away, not acknowledging them.

 _It's not possible that a human can see her_ , Ulquiorra told himself. _The Spiritual Membrane created is impenetrable; not even a Shinigami could see through it. It is not possible that a mere human could break through it._

The woman now stayed at her friend's side and seemed to enjoy it immensely. She actually seemed to think that she was participating in their activities, those of this other human and the small group around her. Every so often, Ulquiorra would notice a look of sadness or disappointment cross his ward's features as something reminded her that the others could not see her, but these always left quickly, replaced by more expressions of joy and excitement.

Though the evening was annoying in its celebration of futility, yet it was almost relaxing to the Cuatro Espada. At least with the woman occupied with her friends, he had no need to bother with trying to be 'kind' to her. Indeed, she scarcely looked at him, and that was perfectly acceptable to him. His senses remained high for any local Shinigami or wandering Hollow, but none broke the spiritual tranquility of the night. The humans surrounding them were all that were there, and none here could be cause for concern for the smallest Gillian, let alone an Espada. In truth, no Shinigami would frighten Ulquiorra either, but a fight here would be inconvenient nonetheless, especially in his duty as guard.

The festivities wore away the night time, until the people began wandering away from the main area. The human woman and her friends remained in a tight-knit group, walking away from the densest parts of the crowds, and moving up a large, grassy hill. Ulquiorra saw many others climbing the hill and filling the surrounding open areas likewise. He had no time to wonder before the sky erupted with lights and explosions. Far from being afraid, however, the people all exclaimed and clapped with joy. Ulquiorra wondered whether this was some display of force, meant to show the people that they were safe from threats. It seemed odd, seeing that the explosions, while certainly loud and (in human terms) powerful, would do little or nothing against a high-level Hollow. Perhaps they were meant to deter human threats. After all, Ulquiorra knew that some humans would fight against their own kind in the same way that Hollows did. Apparently so did the Shinigami, he realized, thinking of Aizen-sama and his assistants.

As the lights continued to explode in the air, he noticed a look of something near serenity in the eyes of his prisoner as she watched it. This confused him. She was so averse to violence, and she seemed to dislike seeing even her enemies in pain. Nevertheless, here she was, watching a clear show of force and violence, and yet deriving pleasure from it. Ulquiorra did not understand.

Soon enough, the light show ended, and the people began to say goodbye to one another and to move away in different directions. The human woman bid a fond farewell to her friends, though she seemed a little saddened when none of them replied. Even so, the residual excitement was still evident in her expression when she practically danced over to where Ulquiorra stood waiting.

"Thank you so much!" she beamed. "What a _wonderful_ evening! Did you enjoy it?"

Ulquiorra merely looked at her, wondering whether she actually wanted an answer to that question. She didn't seem the type to be sarcastic, but neither would he have thought her so stupid as to suppose that he might "enjoy" himself in the midst of humans. Deciding that it was better not to answer, he merely turned away.

"Come," he said aloud. "We should return now."

The woman bounced along at his side, babbling about all that she and her friends had done and discussed. To hear her talk, one would think that she had actually been participating in all that occurred and not merely observing. Soon enough, they were well away from the other humans, and Ulquiorra lifted a hand to open the Garganta.

"Hey!" a voice called. "Wait up!"

"Tatsuki-chan!" cried Orihime.

Ulquiorra turned to see the woman's friend from earlier running toward them. He tensed slightly. _It's not possible that she can see her friend,_ he assured himself. _It's not possible!_

Tatsuki ran up to them and stopped, gasping for breath.

"Who are you?" she asked, as soon as she could speak.

Ulquiorra blinked in mild surprise. The female was looking directly at him. She couldn't see her friend, but she could see him. That was an eventuality which he had not anticipated.

"Who are you?" repeated the girl when Ulquiorra didn't answer.

"I am of no concern to you," answered Ulquiorra calmly.

"Why were you following me and my friends tonight?" she demanded.

Ulquiorra started to turn away. He had no intention of explaining himself to a human. Tatsuki, however, wasn't about to be deterred so easily. She jumped forward and caught hold of his arm. Ulquiorra froze.

"Tatsuki-chan!" gasped Orihime, almost in a panic.

"Why do you feel like Orihime?" asked Tatsuki abruptly.

That produced a reaction. Both Orihime and Ulquiorra looked at her in surprise.

"What did you say?" asked the Espada.

"I can sense my friend Orihime," replied Tatsuki. "Whenever she's near, and even when she isn't, I can sense her. For the last few days, I haven't been able to sense her at all. But then, tonight, I could feel her presence. I kept looking for her, but I couldn't see her. All night, I've felt like she was there, just out of my reach. But every time I looked for her, I didn't see her. But I always saw you, standing there and watching us. Now, I can still feel her. And no one else is here but you, so somehow you're emanating her spirit, and I want to know why! What do you have to do with Orihime? Or rather, what have you done with her?"

Ulquiorra had fully recovered himself, and he looked at her calmly now. So, she could still sense her friend, albeit slightly. That wasn't supposed to happen, but it wasn't terrible. It meant that the bracelet would need to be adjusted in future, but that was all. There was no danger. He then noticed that the human was still gripping his arm.

"Remove your hand," he said calmly.

Hesitantly, Tatsuki let go.

"Well?" she asked.

"I have no intention of answering you. Go back to your own life, and forget your friend. You will not see her again."

Both human girls started and looked at him in horror.

"Ulquiorra-san," whimpered Orihime, looking as though she would burst into tears.

"What have you done with her?" growled her friend. "Where is she?"

Ulquiorra did not reply. He realized that his choice of words was probably not the best for using in front of his ward. After all, he was supposed to be making her happy. If she was made unhappy by this visit, then the whole evening was for nothing.

"What did you do to Orihime?!" demanded Tatsuki, clenching her hands into fists. "Tell me!"

The impassible expression on Ulquiorra's face did not change. In anger, Tatsuki lunged forward with a cry, swinging her fist at him with all her might.

Most would not have caught the instantaneous movement of Ulquiorra's right hand as he calmly deflected the blow. Thought he expended only the slightest part of his energy, the light blow against her arm was sufficient to spin Tatsuki around completely. She stumbled, caught herself, and turned back to stare at him in shock. Ulquiorra didn't move.

"Who are you?" she asked again.

"Tatsuki-chan," whimpered Orihime again. "Please, please, please, just go!"

When Ulquiorra still refused to move or speak, Tatsuki lunged at him a second time. Orihime screamed for her friend to stop, but Tatsuki couldn't hear her. This time, Ulquiorra stepped forward and delivered what was to him a very light blow to her stomach. Tatsuki was again thrown back, this time striking the ground with great force. She doubled over, clutching her stomach and coughing as Ulquiorra stepped forward toward her.

"No!" shrieked Orihime. Quickly she jumped between her guard and her friend, spreading her hands to either side. "Please, don't hurt her!" she cried. "Please! I'll do anything you want! Just please don't hurt her!"

Ulquiorra looked at her calmly as Tatsuki struggled to get back to her feet. She stumbled, still coughing. Orihime turned, wanting to help her, but knowing that she couldn't. Still impassive as ever, Ulquiorra reached past Orihime and offered a hand to Tatsuki. The latter stared at him in shock. For a long moment, she remained as she was, just watching him. Ulquiorra didn't move. Orihime looked from one to the other, apparently not sure what to make of it either. At last, Tatsuki took the Espada's hand and rose to her feet.

"Your friend is safe," said Ulquiorra.

Tatsuki and Orihime now both looked at him in surprise.

"What?" asked Tatsuki.

"She is beyond your reach, it is true," continued Ulquiorra, replacing his hand in his pocket. "You cannot see or touch her, but know that she is safe. She is well. She still thinks of you, but she would not want you to seek her. Do not concern yourself for her well-being."

Orihime again looked like she might cry, but this time it was a different sort of look. "Ulquiorra-san," she breathed.

"What do you mean?" asked Tatsuki. "Where is she?"

"She is safe," repeated Ulquiorra. "That is all you need know."

Tatsuki clenched and unclenched her fists. "I . . . I . . . ."

Ulquiorra waited a moment then turned to leave.

"Wait!" exclaimed Tatsuki.

Ulquiorra glanced back at her, but Tatsuki still didn't seem to know what to say. She opened and closed her mouth. Seeing that, Ulquiorra again started to turn away.

"Are you going to her?" asked Tatsuki suddenly. "Can you speak to her?"

Again, Ulquiorra paused and looked at her.

"If you can, then tell her that she'd better take care of herself. Tell her that I'll never forget her, and that we _will_ see each other again. Nothing can keep the two of us apart. And tell her that if she's in danger, we _will_ find her." Tatsuki paused. "And if somehow _you_ are putting her in danger," she continued, looking at Ulquiorra darkly, "then just know that nothing can keep you safe!"

Ulquiorra noticed that his human prisoner was crying again, but she was smiling at the same time.

"Tatsuki-chan," she whispered. "Thank you."

Ulquiorra sighed softly. Without responding to either of them, he turned again to walk away. Hesitating only a moment, Orihime followed. Tatsuki looked after them, seeing only one, and finally turned herself and walked back toward the town.

Once they were alone again, Ulquiorra felt a gentle touch on his arm.

"Thank you," the woman whispered again. "Thank you for tonight. Thank you for everything."

* * *

 **A/N: I know that the story has been a bit slow. I'm not good at writing violence. That being said, the next chapter will have a little action and a little more "UlquiHime" in it. Stay tuned.**

 **By the way, I do appreciate reviews. Even if you don't like the story, please let me know. Thanks to all!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Fight

**Chapter 4: The Fight**

Reentering the woman's assigned room, Ulquiorra was keenly aware that she was still smiling. It would be an exaggeration to say that this "pleased" him; rather it relieved him. He was still unsure of whether his actions toward her would be interpreted as "kind," so it was relieving when something he did seemed to add to her happiness. It meant that he was not failing in the impossible task to which he had been assigned. He still considered it impossible. If he succeeded at all, it would be due to chance and not skill on his part, therefore it would not be _his_ success; it would mean simply that he had not failed. He was no nearer to understanding kindness than he had been when this started. He knew only that he should do what he could to make her smile. He had originally thought that he ought to do what he could to keep her from crying, but he had since discarded that thought. It still confused him that she could be happy and yet be crying, but he had seen what he considered sufficient proof that it was possible. Her tears, therefore, he now ignored. Her expressions were all that mattered.

Her expression, however, changed immediately to apprehension when they entered the room, and Ulquiorra knew instantly why. There, sitting on her couch, was a Shinigami with a wide, oily grin.

"Oy, ya've com' back after all, eh?" purred Gin. "I was startin' to wonder."

"Where have you been?" demanded another voice.

The woman jumped at the sound, but Ulquiorra had sensed Tosen's presence without having to see the dark-skinned Shinigami, standing in the corner of the room.

"Did Aizen-sama wish to see her?" asked Ulquiorra, unperturbed.

"Better than that," sneered a third voice. "He doesn't need her anymore."

Ulquiorra felt the human woman press against his side as she looked around at the three men surrounding them. Szayel had appeared at the doorway of the room, and he leered at her unpleasantly. Extending his senses to see whether anyone else was near, Ulquiorra quickly assured himself that none were. These three were all. Still, why were they here, and what could Szayel's words mean?

"Ya should be happy, Ulquiorra-san," smiled Gin, rising to his feet. "Yer annoyin' duties are over now."

"What do you mean?" asked Ulquiorra.

"Just told you," answered Gin. "Aizen don't need her now."

Ulquiorra didn't move. What they were saying didn't make sense. If, indeed, Aizen-sama had decided that the woman was no longer needed, then it would be a relief to him, but Aizen-sama would have to tell him that himself. Ulquiorra wasn't about to shirk his duties on the word of another, particularly this one Shinigami whom he knew was wont to lie for his own twisted pleasure.

"I will report to Aizen-sama immediately," Ulquiorra said aloud. "I will hear his order myself."

"Oy, ya can do that," nodded Gin, "but ya can leave the girl here."

Ulquiorra again felt the woman press a little closer to himself, laying a hand on his arm fearfully. _She knows that I must protect her,_ he thought. _I have been ordered to do so, and I will obey unless ordered differently by Aizen-sama. She does not understand that she is making it difficult to do by blocking the movement of my arm. Foolish woman._

"Well, Ulquiorra?" pressed Szayel, still grinning maliciously at him. "Are you going to hand her over?"

It was Tosen's presence that confused Ulquiorra the most and gave him pause. If it was just Szayel and Gin, Ulquiorra would have turned and left the room already, taking the woman with him. He would not trust the word of either of these two, nor would he listen if they claimed to have orders from Aizen-sama contrary to his own. Tosen, however, was not one whom he would suspect of trying to mislead him about Aizen-sama or his orders. The Shinigami's religious devotion to his leader was unquestionable. Why then was he here with these two? Was it possible that the supposed order from Aizen-sama was genuine? If not, it would be worth Ulquiorra's own life if he was to step away and allow them to do as they pleased. No, he must hear the order from Aizen-sama himself.

"The woman will come with me," said Ulquiorra at last. "I have been ordered to guard her, and I will not do otherwise until instructed by Aizen-sama."

"You're refusing an order?" asked Tosen in a low voice. "Again?"

"I am obeying my orders."

"You are questioning the word of Aizen-sama."

"I am obeying the word of Aizen-sama."

Deliberately, Tosen drew his Zanpakuto. Ulquiorra knew that he should draw his own, but the woman was still leaning against his arm. He would have to push her away from himself to do so.

"Yer actin' right strange, Ulquiorra-san," chirped Gin. "What's got ya so attached to this female? Ya like her, maybe?"

Ulquiorra ignored Gin's words. They were meaningless, and he had no time to consider them. He did not want to cross swords with these three here. It was not a fight he was likely to win, unless he drew on his ultimate strength, and that was forbidden in this place. The others knew this; they had the advantage.

"Step away from the woman," ordered Tosen.

Ulquiorra didn't move.

"Ah, there's no need fer that," came Gin's voice. Ulquiorra then saw that Gin had drawn his own Zanpakuto. Holding it in his right hand, Gin rested the blade lightly on his left forearm, the tip pointed at Orihime. With a sadistic grin, he murmured, "Shoot 'em dead– "

The sonido of a lower-level Arrancar would not have been quicker than Gin's Shikai, but Ulquiorra needed only to interrupt it before it fired. Ulquiorra's Zanpakuto connected with Gin's, knocking the tip of the blade upward. Gin's immediate smile of triumph, however, sent a slight shiver of fear through the Cuatro Espada, who had only a split second to block the incoming blow from Tosen. Fortunately, his own Hierro was stronger than was Grimmjow's and this saved him from losing an arm as the other had done.

As he had moved, Ulquiorra had thrust the woman toward one of the corners, and he fought now with his back to her, keeping the Zanpakuto of the Shinigami always in his field of vision. This was not always easy; both Shinigami attacked him at once, keeping to either side of him, so that he could not block both with his sword. Having to rely on his Hierro again and again, he had to catch the blades of his attackers with his Zanpakuto on one side and his bare hand on the other. How long, he wondered, before one or the other would exert enough spiritual pressure to piece his hardened skin? Both were capable of doing so. Of course, releasing that amount of spiritual pressure in this confined space would be destructive, and, if their actions were meant to be unnoticed by Aizen-sama, then they could not afford this.

As Ulquiorra deflected blow after blow, he became more and more convinced that they were _not_ , indeed, acting under the orders of Aizen-sama. If they were, then they would not hesitate to use their full powers to defeat him. They were trying to subdue him, it was clear, but they were not trying to kill him. This emboldened the Arrancar; he was still the one obeying Aizen-sama, and these two were not.

"Ulquiorra-san!" screamed the woman suddenly. "Behind you!"

Ulquiorra's attention was diverted for a split second when she screamed as he looked toward her, realizing suddenly that he had not being paying attention to Szayel's movements, but this turned out to be a mistake. The danger did indeed come from behind him, but it was not directed at her. Szayel, waiting for the perfect opportunity, had appeared suddenly behind Ulquiorra and caught hold of the latter by the collar. Ulquiorra attempted to spin around, but he was met with Tosen's blade in his face, just as Szayel dropped something soft and slimy onto his neck. Lightning-quick reflexes saved Ulquiorra from losing an eye, and another sonido placed him with his back to the wall, the woman at his right hand, and his three enemies in front of himself. Fortunately, Szayel withdrew again immediately, and Ulquiorra was able to drive the Shinigami each back a step, such that he was once more between them and their prey. His back to the woman now and Szayel again in his sight, Ulquiorra once more deflected the blows of the two Shinigami as he attempted to determine what Szayel had put on him.

He quickly realized that whatever it was was a living creature. It felt like a thick worm or a slug as it draped itself around his neck and extended two tendrils down his chest, inside his jacket. It was with great disgust that he felt the ends of the apparent gastropod enter his Hollow hole, feeling about with a slimy horror. Was this meant to be a distraction? If so, it was almost working. If not, then was it something more sinister? A quick, full glance at Szayel showed the other to be grinning maniacally. Ulquiorra knew that he had to remove whatever the creature was from himself and quickly, but how? Both hands were required to fend off the attacks of the Shinigami.

As the two ends of the creature oozed through his hole and out the other side, Ulquiorra realized that the creature must be growing. The thick, soft body about his neck had not changed in size, nor had the pressure increased to indicate that it was tightening, but the ends were certainly increasing in length. He felt them now working their way up his back. Ducking under a blow from Tosen, Ulquiorra quickly thrust his free hand into his jacket, grabbing hold of the creature. Instantly, he realized that it had attached itself to his chest, in some way merging with his Hierro. To tear it off would be to tear through his own skin. He was willing to do that, and he started to try, when Gin, taking advantage of the momentary opening, thrust his blade at Ulquiorra's chest. The Arrancar spun sharply and threw his left hand up to block the blade. The tip managed to put a tear in the front of his jacket, but he sustained no immediate damage. As the attacks continued, however, Ulquiorra was forced to again leave the creature be in order to defend himself.

A cold, sinking feeling, not unlike the slimy touch of the creature, came over Ulquiorra as he realized that he could not quickly remove the beast. If it had, indeed, attached itself to his skin, then he would have to tear it apart in pieces. After all, it had draped itself around his neck, threaded its way through his Hollow hole, and was now beginning to wrap itself around his shoulders, clearly intending to move down his arms next. What would it do? It was causing him no pain, and he could not sense any difference in his responses.

No, that's not true. He realized now that there was a difference. His reiatsu was dimming. The creature was feeding off of his spiritual energy! Ulquiorra's stores of energy were so vast, and he was releasing so much less than his maximum – that which would have been used in his released state – that it had taken him until now to realize it. Whatever this creature was, it was absorbing his reiatsu at an alarming rate.

 _That's why they're not trying to defeat me!_ he realized with horror. _They knew this; they planned this. My strength will last no more than a few minutes at this rate. A few more seconds, perhaps, and I won't be able to deflect their current attacks._

Ulquiorra realized suddenly that the woman was in no danger; _he_ was their true target. But why? The moment he realized this, he launched past the two Shinigami to the middle of the room, giving himself more space to maneuver. The two spun on an instant, ignoring the woman and confirming his suspicion. Tosen leapt after him, but Gin stopped, lowered his sword, and chuckled.

"My, my," he grinned. "I think he's startin' t' figure it out, Tosen-san."

Tosen likewise paused, holding his battle-stance but not attacking. At the doorway, Szayel laughed.

"It's already been long enough," he said to the other two. "He can't remove it now."

At that, Tosen likewise relaxed and lowered his blade. Immediately, Ulquiorra thrust his hand into his jacket, took hold of the snake-like creature, and tried to tear it from himself. He couldn't do it. His strength was already drained to the point that he couldn't even rip it from his skin. As his breathing became labored, he looked at the Shinigami before him.

"Why?" he asked.

"Why?" repeated Gin, glancing back at Orihime. "Ya haven' guessed?"

"You were ordered to _act_ kindly toward the prisoner," answered Tosen seriously. "You were ordered to _pretend_. It's been clear through watching you that you have gone beyond that. It was suspected that you had developed feelings for her yourself. You went so far as to actually take her to the Land of the Living. And now, when ordered to have her destroyed, you turned against Aizen-sama to protect her." His voice lowered even further. "You are a traitor."

Ulquiorra couldn't believe his ears. This made no sense. When Aizen-sama had ordered him to be kind to the woman, he hadn't even understood what he was expected to do; how could he have gone beyond what was required, when he had strongly doubted that he was fulfilling even the most basic aspect of it? He hadn't done even half of what they had advised him to do concerning her. This truly made no sense.

Feeling his strength continue to seep away, Ulquiorra realized that he had no choice. If he wanted to live, he was going to have to disobey Aizen-sama's orders.

"Enclose," he murmured. "Murci–"

That was as far as he got. Just has he had done with Gin, now Tosen did with him. The Shinigami leapt forward and swung his Zanpakuto with full force, interrupting Ulquiorra's release. Ulquiorra was scarcely able to block it with his quickly diminishing strength, but Gin came suddenly from the side, swinging his own blade with true seriousness this time. Ulquiorra felt the sharp edge pierce his Hierro. Almost before he could register what had happened, he saw his own Zanpakuto flying through the air, his disconnected right hand still gripping it.

* * *

Orihime screamed in horror. She still wasn't sure exactly what was happening, but she saw that Ulquiorra had been defeated. He sank to his knees, breathing more heavily than she had ever seen him do, gripping his severed wrist. Jumping forward herself, she pushed past the two Shinigami standing before him.

"Soten Kisshun," she cried. "I reject!"

The golden shield covered his wrist, but to Orihime's surprise, her Espada guard simply withdrew his arm from beneath it.

"That is not necessary," he breathed heavily.

As Orihime watched, Ulquiorra's hand regrew, even more quickly than she could have healed it. Even so, he remained kneeling, eyes downcast, looking defeated.

"We should leave," came Tosen-taichō's voice. "This took longer than it should have."

"Well, that ain't our fault," replied Ichimaru-taichō. "They weren't here when they should o' been."

"Come," said the other simply.

Orihime watched in surprise and confusion as the two Shinigami and the smiling, pink-haired Arrancar left the room, closing the door behind them. Turning back, she saw that Ulquiorra had again reached inside his jacket to take hold of the slug-like creature there. The Espada's weakened grip could do nothing, however, and he soon let go, dropping his hand to the floor to catch himself from falling.

"Ulquiorra-san!" she exclaimed. Touching her hairpins again, she called, "Soten Kisshun; I reject!" This time, the orange shield covered the Arrancar entirely, as she tried to reject all that had been done to him. Orihime frowned in confusion, seeing that it didn't work. There was only Ulquiorra's own spiritual pressure within the field. The creature on him wasn't hurting him.

Eyes widening, Orihime finally realized what the creature was doing. This wasn't something that she could reject. It had to be physically removed and quickly!

. . . . but how? Orihime blushed at the thought of reaching inside Ulquiorra's shirt herself.

As she hesitated, Ulquiorra's eyes seemed to glaze, and he slid to the floor.

"Ulquiorra-san!" she exclaimed again, catching him by the arm. Then she felt it. The creature had wound itself around his arm! If she could peel it off from him, perhaps there was still time!

"Forgive me, Ulquiorra-san," she whispered, then quickly opened his jacket and pulled it off of him entirely. Sure enough, the purplish-brown being had wound itself around each of Ulquiorra's arms, reaching nearly to the wrists. Orihime grasped at one of the thin ends of it and pulled.

"Stop," came the soft voice of her captor.

Orihime had drawn a few inches of the creature off of him, so she didn't understand his objection.

"Why?" she asked.

"It will enclose you also," he breathed.

Turning back, Orihime saw that it was so. The thin end that she held had already attached itself to her hand and began, very slowly, to wrap itself around her wrist. With a squeal of horror, she tried to pull her hand away. It was not without a little pain that she managed to rip it off of herself. Ulquiorra's arm then fell to his side, the loose end of the slug returning to its work of binding him.

"No," Orihime whimpered. Tears formed in her eyes, and she brushed them quickly away. "How do I get it off?" she asked.

Ulquiorra didn't answer. He looked up at her with the same deep, green eyes that she'd always seen, but now they seemed almost softer. Was it because he was in pain? Or because he was not afraid of dying? Or simply because he _was_ dying? Orihime choked on her tears and pressed her hands to her face. This was her fault! She didn't fully understand what all had been said, but she knew that this was her fault. Somehow, they were killing him because he had defended her. If he had stepped aside and let them take her, then he would still be unharmed. It was all her fault!

" _Onna_ ," came his weak voice again. "Why would you cry for me?"

At that, the tears that she had been trying to hold back burst forth like a flood.

"No," she cried. "There has to be a way to get it off. There has to be a way!"

As a sudden thought struck her, she caught up the now empty jacket, wrapped a part of it around her hand, and took hold of the tendril with it. The creature tried to attach itself to the white cloth, but it didn't matter. Orihime continued to pull at it, dragging it slowly off of the Arrancar's skin. By the time she had reached his elbow, however, she found that it wouldn't come off as easily. She pulled and pulled at it, and she saw that it tore away the skin, just a little, as it came, but then she couldn't get any more of it off. It was stuck too fast.

"I can't get it off," she whimpered. "What should I do?"

Turning back to her guard's face, she saw that his eyes were shut and he didn't move.

"U-U-Ulquiorra-san?" she murmured softly.

The Espada didn't move. His breathing had either ceased or slowed to where it was imperceptible. Orihime reached forward and pressed a hand to his white cheek.

"Ulquiorra-san!" she exclaimed. "Wake up! Please, wake up! Ulquiorra-san!"

There was no reaction from the pale Espada, and Orihime found herself wrapping him in her arms as she cried, hugging his lifeless form to her chest as if she would infuse her own life energy into him.

"Ulquiorra-san," she continued to cry. "Please wake up. Please, please, wake up!"

"Orihime," came a deep, soft voice from behind her.

Turning her head in surprise, Orihime's eyes widened in absolute shock at the sight of a familiar black cat, standing in front of a quivering Garganta, there at the edge of her room.

"Yoruichi-san!" she gasped.


	5. Chapter 5: Rescue

**Chapter 5: Rescue . . . ?**

"Yoruichi-san!" exclaimed Orihime as soon as she had recovered from her shock. "Please help me! I can't get it off! It's going to kill him!"

The black cat appeared to frown. "Orihime," it answered in confusion. "You are holding an Arrancar."

"Please, he's going to die!"

"Orihime, you must come quickly," replied Yoruichi firmly, ignoring her pleas. "Kisuke is holding open the Garganta on the other end, but we don't know how long it will last. Now, if you don't want to stay here, then follow me."

"Kisuke-san?" repeated Orihime.

"Yes, come quickly!"

"But Ulquiorra-san! We have to help him!"

"Orihime, there is no time! You must come now! Or do you wish to stay here?"

"No!" exclaimed Orihime. "I do want to come." Rising to her feet, she struggled to lift Ulquiorra's limp form also. "But we have to bring Ulquiorra-san too; we can't leave him here. They'll kill him."

"There is no time!" snapped Yoruichi. "Besides, he looks to be dead already, and he's an Arrancar besides. Leave him, and let us go. Now!"

"I can't leave him," cried Orihime, tears starting in her eyes again. "Please, Yoruichi-san. I can't leave him!"

Heaving a deep sigh, Yoruichi closed her eyes as a strange glow surrounded her form. In a moment, a strongly built, brown-skinned woman stood before Orihime.

"Give him to me," she said simply.

Slinging the lifeless body of the Espada over one shoulder, Yoruichi caught Orihime under her other arm and leapt into the Garganta. Neither she nor Kisuke knew how long this pathway would last, but the Queen of Flash-Step was not about to be trapped, either in Hueco Mundo or in the space between dimensions where the Gargantas existed, so long as she had strength.

* * *

"Oh, he'll live at least another hour," Szayel affirmed nonchalantly. "There's no cause for concern."

"In that case, we should retrieve him now," replied Tosen. Motioning to a waiting Arrancar, Tosen ordered the latter to go and fetch Ulquiorra immediately.

"Don't you trust me?" asked Szayel with an innocent expression as the other left.

"No," was the only answer.

Szayel turned away with a snicker.

"I don't like this plan," continued Tosen. "Suppose he had agreed? What if he had killed the woman himself?"

"Ah, ya know he wouldn' o' done that," waved Gin dismissively. "We knew he'd defend her. He'd never go ag'in Aizen's orders, y'know."

"I'm not so sure of that," growled Tosen. "Anyway, he might easily have given us away."

"Ya wouldn' be sayin' that if it'd been Aizen's plan, now would ya?" asked Gin.

Tosen snorted derisively.

"Aizen did like the plan, y'know," continued Gin. "Are ya jealous, Tosen-san?"

Tosen rose to his feet. "My part in this charade is over," he said abruptly. "I don't want to hear anything more about it."

"You just don't want to be here when Espada Number Four wakes up, do you?" sneered Szayel.

"It was your invention that overcame him," retorted Tosen. "And it was Gin's sword that took his hand. I would have nothing to fear, even if he was on my level, which he isn't."

"Ah, he won' be mad." Gin waved a hand dismissively. "Although he might not understand."

"All I can say is that after all of this, we had better see results," grunted Tosen.

"Ah, didn' ya see how scared the girl was?" grinned the other. "She's prob'ly clingin' to him and cryin' her eyes out right now. Ain't nothin' gonna convince her he doesn' care for her now."

Tosen merely shook his head and turned toward the door. As he walked forward, leaving both Gin and Szayel grinning behind him, the Arrancar from earlier rushed suddenly back into the room.

"Sirs!" he exclaimed. "Both Ulquiorra-sama and the human woman are gone! The room is empty!"

"What?!" exclaimed Tosen. "Impossible!"

He rushed from the room himself, the other two close behind him. Into the woman's room they burst, but, as the Arrancar had said, it was void of life. There, on the floor where it had landed, was the Cuatro Espada's Zanpakuto, still in the grip of the white, disembodied hand. There also lay a long, white jacket with distinctive coattails, clearly belonging to one particular Espada. But nowhere was there a sign of a beautiful, red-haired woman or a morose, black-haired Arrancar.

"Where are they?" growled Tosen angrily.

* * *

"Kisuke has found a way to open a Garganta to Hueco Mundo," explained Yoruichi as they sped through the darkness at lightning speeds. "He wanted to test it, and I volunteered. Neither of us expected that it would drop me only inches from where you were!"

"Kurosaki-kun?" gasped Orihime, wanted to question, but finding it difficult to catch her breath.

"He's training," replied Yoruichi, knowing that her answer would be no surprise to Orihime. "He still plans to come and rescue you. We didn't want to tell him about the Garganta until we knew whether it would work. Now, it looks like he won't have to know." Yoruichi smiled down at her. "Although I wouldn't mind telling him that he's not the only one who can save the day. It might do him good to hear that once in a while."

"Kurosaki-kun does try to do too much," agreed Orihime.

What had been a distant speck of light was growing at a beautifully comforting speed. As they came nearer, Orihime could see that the opening shivered, much as the one in her room had done. It was almost pulsating, but the vibrations were inconsistent. It seemed that it would collapse at any moment.

"We're going to make it!" exclaimed Yoruichi, dashing forward.

* * *

Opening his eyes, Ulquiorra was met with the sight of a brown, wooden ceiling. His first thought couldn't rightly be defined: it wasn't disbelief; it was non-belief. What he was seeing could not be reality, therefore it was not real. He did not choose to disbelieve; rather his mind simply did not process what his eyes saw. After all, in Hueco Mundo, all was white, grey, or black. The color of the sky-dome of Las Noches was an exception, but even it was not brown.

Unusual feelings began to pervade his senses: the scent of dust and old boxes, the feel of warm, still air against his face, the muffled sounds of movement and voices, and the touch of strange cloth on his chest. His chest! Ulquiorra blinked, fully awake now, as he lifted a hand to feel his chest above his Hollow hole.

The creature was gone.

Ulquiorra breathed deeply and blinked again. He was alive. How was he alive? Noticing that both hands had come to his chest, though he had lifted only one, he lowered his gaze to look at them. He saw then that they were bound, one to the other, with thin manacles like those used by the Shinigami to suppress spiritual energy. In his normal state, he could have snapped these petty devices with ease. Now, however, with his strength so drained, he found that he could barely feel his hands and wrists for the strong suppression forces working over them.

Movement to his side caught his eye, and Ulquiorra turned his head just in time to see the door to his left slide closed. He had caught a glimpse of what looked like a little human child just before the little gap had vanished. Who was she? Where was he? How had he come here?

Carefully, Ulquiorra lifted himself to a sitting position, moving his gaze over the entire room. Wherever he was, his eye saw everything, but here there was little to see. It was a small, plain room, clearly in the Land of the Living. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all made of wooden slats. A low table sat in one corner. A small lamp hung overhead. The sliding door stood to his left. The thin bedding on which he lay and the coverlet over him were the only other objects in the room.

Looking down again, he saw that he was wearing an unusual shirt, far too large for one of his build. It hung loosely from his thin shoulders, offensive in its bright colors. Ulquiorra's first instinct was to rip it off of himself. He paused, however. His own jacket was gone. Where was it? Ah yes, he remembered. The woman had removed his jacket, hoping to be able to tear Szayel's creation off of himself. A futile endeavor on her part. Nevertheless, the creature had been removed by someone. But by whom? And for what reason?

Again there was movement at the doorway, and Ulquiorra turned to see a tall man enter the room.

"Ah! You're awake already, Ulquiorra-kun," grinned the man, half-hiding his smile behind a white fan.

The mere sight of this particular individual answered most of Ulquiorra's many questions immediately.

"Urahara Kisuke," he said aloud.

* * *

As the former captain of the Twelfth Squad and founder of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute looked down at his semi-prisoner, he was careful to keep a friendly expression on his countenance. He had no doubt that the Espada before him was already tense enough, having just awakened in the den of his enemies. Kisuke himself was tense and ready, unsure of what to expect, though he tried not to show it. The Arrancar had been drained to the point of death, and yet he had awoken so quickly! There was no knowing how soon he would regain sufficient strength to be a threat.

"You know my name," he said pleasantly. "I don't think that we've been properly introduced though."

The dark green eyes with thin slits like a cat's remained fixed immovably on his face. Try as he might, Kisuke could read nothing in them. What was the Hollow thinking?

For a short time, the two remained as they were, each regarding the other in silence, until the entrance of another, smaller individual broke the tension.

"Excuse me," squeaked the little girl.

"Ah, thank you, Ururu," exclaimed Kisuke at the sight of her. "Just set it there."

Obediently, Ururu stepped into the room and set the little tray she was carrying on the low table. On it was a full, small, tea service, clearly meant for two. This done, Ururu bowed silently and left the room.

"Will you have some tea?" asked Kisuke, turning back to the Arrancar and motioning invitingly toward the little table.

Kisuke moved forward himself, sat on the floor, and began pouring the steaming liquid into the two cups provided. Whether it was hesitation, mistrust, or simply that this particular Hollow did nothing without full consideration, the Espada waited for a moment before coming forward himself. When he did so, however, it was without any show of fear. He seated himself across from Kisuke, still without a word, still looking calmly at him with that unblinking, unreadable expression that Kisuke had seen once before, in a field just outside of Karakura town, the day that Kisuke himself, together with Yoruichi, had saved Kurosaki Ichigo and his friends from two very powerful Arrancar. Yes, Kisuke remembered it well. It was, therefore, not without reason that he kept his own senses on high alert, although he maintained his friendly exterior.

"Orihime-chan said that it was your own allies who nearly killed you," murmured Kisuke, lifting his gently steaming mug, "though she said that she didn't quite understand why. She said that they wanted to kill her, and you saved her life?"

This was meant as a question, and Kisuke looked over the edge of his mug at the Espada, hoping for an answer, but the other ignored him. Lifting his own mug comfortably in both hands, such that one would scarcely notice that he was bound, the Arrancar drank calmly, his piercing gaze now shaded by thick, pale eyelids. Kisuke waited quietly.

"You've heard the expression, perhaps," continued Kisuke at last, "'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.' I suppose the question at hand is simply this: do you and I now have a common enemy?"

The Arrancar lowered his mug and lifted his gaze to Kisuke again.

"If you are asking whether I am your ally," said the other, finally breaking his silence, "I am not."

Kisuke smiled. "But you did save the life of Inoue-san when your true 'allies' would have killed her?"

"The woman was in no danger. It was meant to appear that she was so."

 _Appear so to whom?_ wondered Kisuke. _Inoue-san certainly believed that she was in danger. And if you knew that she was not in danger, my friend, then why did you "save" her? And why did your comrades try to kill you?_

"You were nearly dead when you arrived here," said Kisuke. "If not your allies, then by whose hand were you brought to that condition?"

"To use your words, it was by the enemy of my enemy."

Kisuke's eyebrows rose in surprise. Was this somber Hollow actually being sarcastic? It almost sounded like it.

"It was Gin or Tosen, wasn't it?" he asked seriously.

"Your intelligence and reasoning abilities have not been overstated," replied the other.

"Oh, you flatter me!" exclaimed Kisuke, reverting again to his silly grin. "It was a lucky guess! No more!"

The Espada didn't answer. In truth, it wasn't a lucky guess; Orihime-chan had told Urahara about the encounter, so he already knew who had attacked him. To hear him use that phrase, however, meant that this particular Arrancar, at least, did not consider Gin and Tosen to be his allies. From Orihime-chan's words, it would appear that he served Aizen willingly, but the other two Shinigami traitors were a different matter. This pleased Kisuke. It might prove to be useful in time.

Kisuke soon sensed another presence quickly approaching. His guest, however, either did not sense her or refused to acknowledge it. Either was possible, Kisuke had to admit. After all, the other's spiritual reserves were doubtless still very low, but he likewise did not appear to be the sort to react to things outwardly.

"Ulquiorra-kun!" exclaimed Orihime, throwing open the door forcefully. "You're awake!"

As Kisuke expected, the Espada merely turned his stony gaze to look at her calmly, no change on his expressionless face.

"I was so worried," continued Orihime, coming forward and plopping down between the two of them at the little table. "I didn't think you'd be awake already. I couldn't believe it when Ururu said that you were! Are you really going to be alright?"

The Arrancar replaced his cup on the table and withdrew his hands, but Orihime gasped as she noticed the bracelets.

"Urahara-san!" she exclaimed, catching hold of the Arrancar's wrist. "Why is Ulquiorra-kun in handcuffs?"

Kisuke noticed a slight reaction in the Espada's face when the girl touched him. That too pleased him.

"This Hollow may have saved your life, Orihime," came the voice of a black cat in the doorway, "but he is still a threat. You understand that precautions must be taken."

"But Ulquiorra-kun isn't a threat!" exclaimed Orihime-chan. "The other Espada tried to kill him for defending me."

"Orihime-chan," said Kisuke, laying his own hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "Your protector has only just awoken. He finds himself in a strange place, not knowing why he is here or what is going to happen. You cannot expect even him to know how he going to react at first. The restraints are not a threat to him. They're a safeguard until we all understand the situation a little better. That's all." Turning to the Arrancar, he continued, "These aren't causing you any pain, are they?"

The other merely looked at him with cold, green eyes, not answering. Kisuke knew the answer already; he had just hoped that the Espada would reassure Orihime that he was not in pain. It seemed that that wasn't about to happen. Kisuke sighed.

"Ah, well, I hope that you'll tell me if they do," he grinned sadly. "You'll hurt my feelings if you say that my hospitality is lacking in any way. Now, Orihime-chan, why aren't you sleeping yourself? You've been through a trying time. I've intentionally not informed your friends that you are back, because I want you to rest first. Now, you must get some sleep."

Orihime looked from Kisuke to the Hollow at her side. The latter had turned his gaze away and stared blankly into space. Orihime bit her lip.

"May I speak with Ulquiorra-kun first?" she asked shyly. "I'll go to bed afterward."

Kisuke's sharp eyes bore into the Espada once more, but the latter ignored him. Heaving a sigh of defeat, Kisuke rose to his feet with a meek grin.

"I give in," he said sheepishly. "I just can't refuse those pleading eyes. Come, Yoruichi-san, we've much to discuss. Just don't talk for too long, Orihime-chan. You _do_ need your rest!"

With that, he left the room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

At first, Orihime didn't know what to say. She had wanted to talk to Ulquiorra-kun as soon as she had heard that he was awake, but what should she say? She lowered her gaze to the floor.

"Thank you," she murmured. The words were woefully inadequate, but she didn't know how else to say what she wanted to say. "You almost died to save my life."

"Your life was in no danger," responded her former guard coldly.

"Ulquiorra-kun––"

"I have asked that you not refer to me in that way."

Orihime blushed, still not looking at him. "Ulquiorra . . . san," she continued. He didn't react to this, so she drew a little courage and continued. "I know that you were fighting to keep me safe––"

"It was my duty to Aizen-sama. Do not think that there was any deeper significance."

She bit her lip. "You're angry, aren't you?" she asked.

Ulquiorra didn't respond.

"I'm sorry that I brought you here without asking!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry for the handcuffs! I just . . . I couldn't leave you there to die!" She looked up at him now, tears forming in her eyes. "I tried to get that thing off of you, but I couldn't! I thought you were going to die, and for trying to save me! I couldn't just leave you there! I knew that Urahara-san could fix it. He can fix anything! That's why I asked Yoruichi to bring you too. I . . . I didn't want you to die." Again she bit her lip to stop it from quivering. "Please don't be mad at me."

Ulquiorra turned his deep green eyes to look into hers directly. Still, he said nothing, but he didn't look angry. Returning his gaze, Orihime found herself able to smile, just a little.

"I'm so happy you're alive," she breathed.

For a long moment, he sat there, looking at her silently. Not knowing what else to say, Orihime likewise sat in silence.

"Why?" he asked at last.

Orihime blinked. "Why?" she repeated.

"Why are you happy that I am alive? Why would you want to save my life?"

"I . . . I . . . ." Orihime stuttered. "How can you ask that?! Of course I'm happy you're alive! After all you did for me, and after you almost died to keep me safe; how can you think I _wouldn't_ want to save your life?"

"You heard them say that all I did for you was false," continued Ulquiorra, looking at her now with something almost like confusion. "Aizen had ordered me to pretend to be kind to you. I didn't understand it, and I still don't, but you must know by now that anything you saw as kindness on my part was merely that: obeying his orders. You had to know this when the others were fighting with me. They said that they had not come to kill you, but rather to kill me. You were in no danger. If you were, then they would have killed you. I was unable to defend even myself; I could not have defended you."

Orihime stared at him in shock. Some of what the two Shinigami had said during their fight with her guard now came back to her. Finally, it was beginning to make sense.

"I ask you again, _Onna_ , why would you want to save my life?"

The question wasn't harsh. He truly seemed to want an answer. Orihime allowed her mind to wander back over the events of the last few days as she tried to imagine what she should say.

"I don't believe you," she murmured at last. "I don't believe that it was all pretend. You couldn't have pretended so well."

Ulquiorra blinked at her, surprise showing in his face as the slits in his eyes thinned and the green widened.

"When you talked to Tatsuki-chan for me," she continued. "I knew then. I wasn't sure before that, but I knew then. And when you helped her up instead of attacking her . . . . You wouldn't have done that before. You . . . you're different. I know that the Shinigami Taichou said things after they attacked you, but I know that even you thought that you were defending me when you first attacked them. You thought that they were trying to kill me. So . . . even if they weren't, you did almost die to save me."

Orihime smiled again. "That's why I'm happy that you're alive. And that's why I still say 'thank you.' Thank you for saving me."

Ulquiorra continued to look at her in silence. She wasn't sure now what he was thinking. She wished that he would speak, that he would tell her. Lowering her eyes, her gaze fell again on the spiritual suppression cuffs on his wrists. At that, her smile faded.

"I'll ask Urahara-san to remove those," she said. "I wish that they hadn't put them on you in the first place."

"He will not do so," replied Ulquiorra. "He knows that I am his enemy. He will not allow me to leave alive, let alone freely."

"Urahara-san won't hurt you!" exclaimed Orihime. "I told him how you saved me. No one here will hurt you!"

"If they do not, it will be because they will keep me chained and my reiatsu dimmed."

Orihime set her jaw. Reaching forward boldly, she took Ulquiorra's wrists in her hands. Looking at the cuffs, she knew that she couldn't remove them, but she knew too that she could reduce their effect.

"Tsubaki," she called calmly, "Koten Zanshun; I reject!"

The little fairy warrior appeared and sliced through the chain that bound the two wrist-cuffs together. Ulquiorra again showed a little surprise as he gazed down at his wrists, not free from the cuffs themselves, but no longer chained together. With them separate, the cuffs still worked to suppress his strength, but not nearly to the same degree that they had. Again, he looked up at her.

"Urahara-san and Yoruichi-san don't know you yet," she whispered. "But I know that you wouldn't hurt me."

Orihime returned Ulquiorra's wondering gaze calmly. She knew what the others did not: he might not think that he understood kindness, but he clearly felt something. Perhaps Aizen had ordered the Espada to "pretend" to be kind; perhaps he had tried "pretending." No matter what he said, no matter what any of them said, Orihime knew what she felt in her own heart to be true. She knew that she was safe with this man, whether he was an Arrancar or not. She knew that Ulquiorra wouldn't hurt her.

Suddenly, moving so quickly that her eyes couldn't follow, Ulquiorra appeared behind her, clapping his left hand over her mouth and drawing her instantly to her feet with his right.

"You are a fool," he breathed into her ear, raising his hand to open the Garganta.

* * *

 **A/N:** **I'm sure a lot of you were wondering how (or if) I was going to keep this "within cannon" after the last chapter. I did think that through. When Kisuke found out how to open the Garganta, why not suppose that he tested it? With Yoruichi's help and a little luck, the above might conceivably have worked. (I know I'm stretching it, but bear with me.) Of course, after having it end in failure, neither was too anxious to inform Ichigo and the others about their "first" attempt, allowing them all to believe that** _ **they**_ **were, in fact, the guinea pigs. I know that this still stretches the realm of imagination, but that's why fan fic exists. Hope you all enjoy it!**


	6. Chapter 6: Return

**Chapter 6: Return**

Ulquiorra dropped the woman as the Garganta closed behind them. She stumbled forward, gasping for breath, but he paid her no heed.

"Why?!" she cried. "Why would you bring us back here? They tried to kill you!"

Ulquiorra ignored her, searching the room with his eyes for his Zanpakuto. It was not here. Nor was his jacket.

"Come," he said simply. "We are going to Aizen-sama now." First, however, they'd stop at his own chambers for a new jacket; this colored shirt was enough to make him sick.

"Ulquiorra-san," came the soft voice of the woman.

The Cuatro Espada paused and looked back at her. She stared at him, a look of betrayal covering her face. For his part, Ulquiorra looked only firm.

"Come," he repeated. "Or must I drag you?"

The woman clenched her hands together. Her lip quivered for only a moment, then she set her jaw firmly. Without a word, she stepped forward to follow him from the room.

"They'll come back for me again," whispered the woman as they walked. "My friends; they'll come again."

"They would be fools to do so," replied Ulquiorra coldly. "They were lucky this time, but it will not happen again. If they attempt it a second time, they will die."

The woman was then quiet. Ulquiorra had heard the sadness in her voice, and he knew that she was again unhappy, as she had been when he had first brought her to Hueco Mundo. Inwardly, he cursed the three that had just destroyed all of his hard work. In telling her that it had all been a ruse, they had effectively negated anything that he might now try in order to give her happiness: she would now know that it was false. Even so, Ulquiorra had to admit to himself that it was a minor relief. His trying ordeal was over, in that regard. He no longer had any reason to "pretend."

Entering his own chambers, Ulquiorra ripped the human shirt from himself and threw it to the floor. He then retrieved one of his customary, long, white jackets and swung it around his shoulders, breathing a sigh of relief at being comfortably dressed in his own clothes again. Turning back, he was surprised at what he then saw.

The woman stood silently, the torn shirt in her hand, gazing down at the brightly colored cloth with tears in her eyes. _Surely she is not sad that I tore a bit of cloth,_ he considered. _Will she cry for anything that is injured, even if it has no life?_

"What are you doing?" he asked aloud.

"This . . ." she murmured. "This was one of Urahara-san's shirts. He never wore it, but I told him that he should . . . that it was nice."

Ulquiorra could scarcely believe his ears. She _was_ crying about a shirt. What a strange woman!

"Come," he said simply, brushing past her again. He had no time for her emotions now; they had to reach Aizen-sama's quarters before his three attackers decided to finish their job. He knew that they would have sensed his presence as soon as he returned, even if his strength was still so very low.

Thinking of his spiritual level, he looked again at the Shinigami suppression cuffs that he still wore. They annoyed him exceedingly. His reiatsu was returning swiftly, and it would not be long before he had enough strength to break these, but, in the meantime, he had to endure them. He knew that Szayel would be able remove them with ease, should Ulquiorra ask, but he had no wish to see the Eighth Espada again before his strength was such that he could slay the latter on sight, if he wished it. Thrusting his hands into his pockets, he attempted to drive these thoughts from his mind; there was nothing that he could do about them yet, therefore it was wisest to disregard them for now.

Even before they entered the great throne room, Ulquiorra could sense the presence of several Arrancar within. This could be uncomfortable. Szayel, Gin, and Tosen were all there as well as several others. Aizen-sama was likewise there, so Ulquiorra knew that he had nothing to fear, other than possibly losing his own temper with the other three. Mentally, he steeled himself, then, making sure that the woman was still there with him, he walked resolutely into the massive hall.

Ulquiorra was keenly aware of all of the dark looks directed his way as he strode across the hall. Whispers too passed from one to another of the Arrancar around the room. Purposefully ignoring these, Ulquiorra moved calmly forward until he stood before his Shinigami master.

Aizen-sama sat on the high throne, gazing down at his Cuatro Espada with a cool expression. A familiar, unsheathed Zanpakuto lay across his lap. Ulquiorra was, at least, pleased that the detached hand had been removed from the hilt, although he wondered vaguely whether it now lay in a vat in Szayel's laboratory. Regardless, Aizen-sama's look was not pleased.

"Ulquiorra," said Aizen. "You have returned."

"You've got a lot of guts, I'll give you that," growled Yami from one side of the room.

"Did you find your _new_ allies to be less forgiving than your old ones?" sneered another Arrancar.

"Aizen-sama," said Ulquiorra calmly, ignoring everyone but the Shinigami before him. "May I inquire of you: was it by your orders that Gin-san, Tosen-san, and Szayel attempted to kill me earlier today?"

"Ah, I don' know what ya mean, Ulquiorra-san," smiled the tall Shinigami at Aizen-sama's left hand. "We was just playin' a bit, and ya took it so serious-like. Ya attacked us first, y'know."

"You then took the woman to the Land of the Living," snapped Tosen. "And we know that this was not the first time."

"I did not 'take' her this time," began Ulquiorra, but Aizen-sama himself interrupted.

"You vanished from Hueco Mundo," he said, speaking calmly with only a slight edge to his voice. "And I know where you were; I can smell the reiatsu of Urahara Kisuke from here."

 _Why is she still carrying that damn shirt?_ thought Ulquiorra, stealing a quick glance at the woman. _Why did I not take it from her?_

"It is true," replied Ulquiorra. "I was weakened from my battle with the three I have mentioned, and I was taken prisoner by Urahara Kisuke. It was with the woman's assistance that I was able to return here."

"A likely story," sneered Szayel. "Are we to believe that Urahara Kisuke would be so careless as to let you, an Espada, escape when once he had you? Clearly, he let you go."

"It was your doing that allowed him to capture me," retorted Ulquiorra. "For whatever happened, you are significantly to blame."

"If you say so," grinned the other.

"Serious charges have been leveled against you, Ulquiorra," said Aizen-sama. "Before I return this Zanpakuto, I would like to hear your defense."

Ulquiorra looked at him silently. "Of what am I accused?" he asked at last.

"You are accused of attacking your comrades and consorting with the enemy. I can tell that you were with Urahara, and there are three here who claim that you attacked them. What have you to say?"

"It's not true!" cried Orihime suddenly. "He was defending me! They said that they were going to kill me, and he wouldn't let them."

Ulquiorra didn't know why the woman suddenly decided to defend him, but it made no difference to him. He was not afraid.

"My, my, if _she_ says so, I guess we have t' believe it, eh?" Gin grinned. "After all, it ain't like she's _sweet_ on him or anythin'."

Aizen-sama glanced at Orihime and then turned his gaze back to Ulquiorra.

"If those are the accusations, then they are easily refuted," replied Ulquiorra.

Without another word, he raised his left hand, plucked his eye from its socket, extended his arm, and crushed the small organ in his fist. The woman beside him gasped in horror, but Ulquiorra ignored her; he did, however, take a little pleasure in the looks of uncertainty on the faces of Szayel and Gin. Tosen was, as always, impossible to read.

The sparkling dust filled the room, and all there were able to see the fight, from start to finish, followed by his brief imprisonment by the banished Shinigami, as well as their subsequent "escape."

"Hmm," smiled Aizen as it finished. "Yes, that is certainly strong evidence in your favor." He turned to look at Gin.

"La, I told ya, Ulquiorra-san," smiled the other with a dismissive wave, "we was just havin' a bit o' fun with ya, and ya were so serious about it. Ya need t' learn to light'n up a bit."

"You attempted to kill me," replied Ulquiorra.

"I would have removed the _Znitzien_ before that happened," sneered Szayel, his face again fully under his control. "As Gin-sama has said, it was only in fun. Your reaction certainly added to that fun, I must say. But you _did_ get too serious."

"I can see that you thought the jest to be in earnest," said Aizen-sama, looking down at Ulquiorra again. "You believed that you were defending the woman, as per my orders, so I will say nothing more of that part, _except_ that it appeared that you were prepared to release your Zanpakuto within the confines of Las Noches. Is that correct?"

"Forgive me, Aizen-sama. I was. It will not happen again."

"Also, your recounting of the situation did not indicate how you traveled to the Land of the Living, nor how you arrived in the company of Urahara."

"I do not know that part myself, Aizen-sama. I fell unconscious in the women's room; I awoke, a prisoner of Urahara Kisuke."

"And how do we know what he did to you while he had you, huh?" came the loud voice of the tenth Espada. "What if that freak decided to put something in your brain so you'll turn against Aizen-sama later?"

"I would know if he had," replied Ulquiorra calmly.

"Yeah, but you wouldn't tell anyone," sneered Yami.

"I'd be happy to find out whether anything was done to him, Aizen-sama," grinned Szayel. "It shouldn't take more than a day or two."

Ulquiorra considered responding appropriately to this suggestion, but he guessed that no good would come of it. Therefore he said nothing, waiting for Aizen-sama to speak. For a time, however, the latter sat silently, gazing down at his subordinate.

"Yami," said Aizen at last.

"Huh?" asked the other, looking up at him.

"You bring up a valid concern," Aizen continued. "There is an old custom on Earth known as trial by combat. Ulquiorra's loyalty is in question; I will allow you to test him. If you can defeat him, then you may kill him as a traitor."

Yami hesitated, looking from Aizen to Ulquiorra in uncertainty.

"Me?" he asked. "Fight Ulquiorra?"

"Why are you afraid, imbecile?" asked Szayel. "Can't you sense his spiritual energy? It's not enough to defeat a Gillian."

"Oh, yeah!" grinned Yami. "I forgot."

Ulquiorra looked at the tenth Espada calmly. _The fool_ , he thought. _Surely Aizen-sama doesn't believe that_ Yami _can defeat me, even in this state. What is his goal?_

His reiatsu did appear low, but Ulquiorra knew what the others present did not: they were sensing less than one fourth of what had returned to him. The rest was still being suppressed by the wrist cuffs.

 _Another minute, possibly less. Then I'll be able to break these. Yami won't be able even to touch me._

"Okay, Ulquiorra," sneered Yami, stepping forward. "You're about to pay for all the times you've talked down to me. Who's gonna look stupid this time?"

"Unless you'd like to lose your arm again, Yami, I'd suggest you watch your tongue," replied Ulquiorra calmly. "You cannot defeat me. How much I damage you, however, will be my decision."

"Big talk coming from someone with such a little reiatsu. How are you gonna defeat me, huh? I'm stronger than you now."

"Ulquiorra-san," called Gin gleefully. "Don' ya want yer lady-friend to step back? Ya wouldn' want her to git hurt now, would ya?"

"That will not be necessary. This fight will not damage anything more than the floor beneath this idiot."

"Is that so?!" demanded Yami. "I'll show you!"

"I suggest you draw your Zanpakuto," put in Ulquiorra as Yami drew back a fist.

"Huh?" Yami paused. "I don't need that to take you down."

"You are mistaken."

"And you talk too much!"

"Draw it now, or I shall take it from you," warned Ulquiorra.

"Go ahead and try!" yelled the other.

Yami threw a punch at Ulquiorra, but the latter slipped aside easily. Drawing his hands out of his pockets, he broke the Shinigami wrist cuffs in a single motion. Most of the inhabitants of the room gasped as the Cuatro Espada's reiatsu quadrupled in an instant. Yami turned toward him, drawing back his great fist again, but Ulquiorra sonidoed forward, took the Espada's Zanpakuto, and seemed to vanish.

"What? Where did––"

Ulquiorra appeared immediately behind Yami, and a single kick threw the latter to the ground. Landing atop the huge Arrancar, Ulquiorra calmly thrust the blade through Yami's shoulder, pinning him to the floor.

Yami cried out in pain and anger, struggling to lift himself, but he was no match for Ulquiorra, even at partial strength. The Cuatro Espada maintained his position long enough for Yami to realize that he couldn't escape, then turned to look up at Aizen-sama. The Shinigami scarcely changed his expression.

"Finish him," he said simply.

Yami gasped. "W-what?" he demanded. "Wait!"

Again, he struggled, but Ulquiorra did not move. The others in the room watched in surprise and a little interest, all waiting to see what would happen next. Even Orihime looked from Aizen to Ulquiorra to Yami with horror in her eyes.

For a long moment, Ulquiorra remained as he was, looking steadily at Aizen-sama. For his part, the Shinigami merely returned the gaze.

"Did you not hear me?" he asked at last. "I said to finish him."

"A-a-aizen-sama," gasped Yami, trying again to extricate himself.

Ulquiorra remained for a moment longer, then stepped away from Yami, drawing the Zanpakuto out of the other's shoulder. Yami leapt to his feet, prepared to defend his life if possible, but Ulquiorra merely tossed the blade to the floor at the other's feet.

"No," he said, returning his hands to his pockets calmly.

Everyone present gasped. Even Aizen-sama stared at him in surprise. Tosen began to draw his own Zanpakuto in anger, but Aizen motioned him to wait.

"Ulquiorra," he said in a low voice, "your life is already in jeopardy."

"My loyalty is in question," intoned Ulquiorra calmly. "Yami's is not. He is stupid, but he is loyal to you. In time, he will be strong enough to defeat any one of the Shinigami captains."

"You're stronger than Yami," argued Szayel. "Maybe Aizen-sama is willing to trade him for you."

"Aizen-sama wishes to test my own loyalty," retorted Ulquiorra. Speaking to the Shinigami leader again, he continued, "If I was not loyal to you, then I would not hesitate to kill one of your warriors. If I am loyal to you, then I should not hesitate to obey your order. Therefore, whether I kill him or not will say nothing concerning my loyalty, for I should do the same either way. Nothing will be accomplished by my killing him, other than for you to lose one of your warriors. Szayel may think that you would be trading a weaker warrior for a stronger, but it would not be so. If my loyalty is in question now, it will be just as much so if I kill Yami."

"It's more so now," hissed Tosen. "You're refusing an order."

Ulquiorra glanced at him and returned his gaze to Aizen.

"Aizen-sama," he said. "If you do not believe me to be loyal to you, then kill me now. I will not destroy even a part of your army if it can be of use to you."

Whispers passed between the various Arrancar around the room. Tosen continued to grip the hilt of his Zanpakuto in anger, but he didn't attempt to draw it. Gin merely smiled in devious pleasure. Aizen alone did not react. He sat silently, staring down at his fourth most powerful Espada as the spiritual energy of the latter continued to increase.

At last, he smiled.

"Bravo, Ulquiorra," he nodded. "I see that it was foolish to question your loyalty." Rising to his feet, he extended the Zanpakuto he had been holding. "Receive again the powers that I gave you from the start."

Orihime gasped as Aizen tossed the sharp blade down from the high throne. Ulquiorra, however, caught it easily and, still with no change of expression, returned it to its sheath.

"You may return to your duties," continued Aizen. "You will continue to guard the woman from harm, as you have shown yourself more than capable in that regard. I will send for you if more is needed."

Ulquiorra bowed low and turned to leave. Orihime moved to stay by his side, and she noticed that the others there drew back a little at the dark power that seemed to emanate from her guard now. It was the same that he had always had, but it seemed far more pronounced now, for some reason.

* * *

"Oy, that was a close one," murmured Gin once the three Shinigami were alone. "Didn' expect it t' end like that,"

"So, Urahara has found a way to enter Hueco Mundo, has he?" mused Aizen. "We will need to begin preparations. Now that he has done it once successfully, I've little doubt that he will try again very soon."

"Why would they have taken Ulquiorra?" asked Tosen. "They should have simply killed him. Surely Urahara would not expect to gain information from an Espada."

"La, can't ya tell?" replied Gin, smiling broadly again. "Had t' be the girl. I said as much, didn' I? She's fall'n for him now; there's no doubt. I told ya my plan 'd work."

"I think that very likely, considering that she helped him escape, albeit unintentionally," nodded Aizen. "Even so, I see now that it was far too risky to disable him entirely. We won't try that again in future. Had he been unharmed, it is possible that we would have captured Urahara or one of his, rather than him capturing one of ours."

"I do not understand why you allowed him to defy you, Aizen-sama," said Tosen. "He openly refused your order just now, and you rewarded him."

"His reaction was unexpected," admitted Aizen. "I was surprised myself."

"He should have been executed on the spot!"

"Tosen," waved Aizen in tone of dismissal, "I would no more doubt Ulquiorra's loyalty than I would doubt yours. I merely wanted to see how he would try to prove himself. I did not expect his actions, but I am not angry about them. After all, what he said was true. I found it rather amusing that he was willing to take such a risk merely to prove a point." He chuckled.

"Shame that all our hard work had to go to waste, thanks to Urahara-san," sighed Gin, his oily grin belying his sorrow. "It would o' been nice to see them that much closer now. Maybe we can try som'thin' else, lettin' Ulquiorra-san know about 't this time."

"I think that the emotional state of the woman should be ignored in light of a more serious matter," stated Tosen. "As Aizen-sama said, Urahara may again attempt to enter Hueco Mundo, this time better prepared than the last time."

In response, Aizen simply chuckled again. "Oh, but I'm counting on that," he smiled.

* * *

Orihime walked silently alongside her guard. No words were spoken as the two walked back to her assigned room. Orihime's eyes were downcast as she struggled within herself. She didn't look up, even when they entered her drab, little room. She simply stood, consumed with her own thoughts.

 _I shouldn't have broken the handcuffs_ , she told herself. _Then he couldn't have brought us back here. But then . . . would the other Shinigami from Soul Society have killed him if he stayed? No! Urahara-san wouldn't have let them! Would he? But what would he have done? Ulquiorra-kun is right; they wouldn't have let him go. And he was right about here too; Aizen-taichou won't kill him. I guess the others weren't going to either. That was a mean joke! I'm sure that Ulquiorra-kun thinks so too! I wonder if he's mad at them. Does he ever get mad? I've never seen him mad. Or happy. Or anything. I thought he was being nice, but I guess he wasn't. Was he?_ Again, her thoughts strayed over the last few days. Surely it couldn't have all been pretend!

"Why are you crying, _Onna_?" came Ulquiorra's voice.

Orihime started. She hadn't realized that she was crying. Quickly she tried to wipe away the tears. Why had she been crying? As she looked at him, she began to realize why. The emptiness that he used to emanate had returned. The whole room again felt empty.

Orihime felt her lip begin to quiver again as it all rushed over her like a flood. From the start, he had felt so cold, distant, and . . . empty. She had feared his presence. But then, when he had started to be nice to her, she hadn't felt that way anymore. It was as if gradually he had felt friendly, whole, and even a little _human_. Had she been imagining it? Had she just felt what she had wanted to feel? Had he truly been this cold all along?

"Why . . . why do you . . . ?" she stammered, trying to put her thoughts into words.

"Why do I what?" he asked.

Licking her lips, Orihime tried again. "Why do you seem so cold now?"

Ulquiorra didn't answer.

"Why aren't you being nice now?" she tried again.

"There is no longer any purpose in it," he replied. "Aizen-sama wanted me to convince you that I 'cared' for your emotional well-being. To that end, he ordered me to feign human kindness. Now that you know that it was false, there is no need for the pretense."

"But . . . it seemed so real! Was it _all_ pretend?"

"Yes."

The single word struck her like a blow. Why did he have to be so cold? Again the tears formed in her eyes.

"Couldn't . . . couldn't you still be nice?" she almost whimpered. "Even if I know about it now?"

"Why would you want me to behave in a manner that was not truthful? Do not humans despise inconsistency?"

"You don't have to lie." Orihime shook her head. "You can be nice . . . just because."

"I do not understand."

"I . . . I liked . . . how it felt. I liked how _you_ felt when you were nice. Now, you don't feel like that."

"Your mind created what you sensed in me; I have not changed."

"Ulquiorra . . . ."

Ulquiorra waited for her to speak, but the words wouldn't come. At last, he turned away and stepped toward the door.

"You are doubtless tired," he said calmly. "Sleep. I will return when your morning meal is brought."

Orihime half-choked a loud sob at these words. _No!_ she thought. _I can't go back to how it was!_

Hearing the unusual sound, Ulquiorra paused and turned half-way to look at her.

"Is something wrong with you?" he asked.

Their eyes met, and Orihime searched the deep green of his gaze, trying with all of her might to find something, _anything_ , there onto which she could grasp. No matter how hard she looked, however, she was met with only a never-ending emptiness. There was nothing there.

At last, as Ulquiorra seemed to decide that she wasn't going to answer and so started to turn away, Orihime threw herself forward, wrapped her arms around his torso, and buried her face in his chest, crying openly now.

For his part, Ulquiorra did not move. His arms remained at his sides, his hands in his pockets. Orihime tried to sense what he might be feeling, but she could sense nothing. He didn't feel stiff; he didn't feel uncomfortable; he felt . . . empty.

"What are you doing?" his voice came at last.

Orihime tried to stop her tears. Not letting go of him, she asked, "Aizen-taichou ordered you to pretend to be nice, didn't he?"

"Yes," was the cold reply.

Her grip tightened a little and she squeezed her eyes more tightly shut. "Did he order you to stop?"

For a long moment, there was silence. Orihime didn't dare look up at him, fearfully of what she would see. Finally, she felt his right arm move. His hand came up to rest gently across her shoulders in an almost comforting manner.

"No," came his quiet answer.

* * *

 _Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of the characters therein._


	7. Chapter 7: The Beginning of the End

**Chapter 7: The Beginning of the End**

* * *

Ulquiorra continued to hold the woman against himself as she cried the last of her tears (he hoped). _She wants me to lie to her,_ he considered. _Why? It makes no sense. The purpose of a lie is to deceive; to cause someone to believe something that is not true. What is the point of a lie, if the person hearing it knows that it is a lie? Is she mocking me?_

Just then, the woman's legs seemed to give way, and she started to fall. Instantly, Ulquiorra caught her.

"Oh," she gasped. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm more tired than I realized."

Without a word, Ulquiorra lifted her in his arms and carried her to her couch. He was surprised to see her blush as he did so.

"I . . . I can walk," she squeaked.

"It is unnecessary," replied Ulquiorra calmly.

He laid her on the couch and started to step back, but she caught hold of his hand before he could do so. Turning his green eyes again to meet hers directly, he saw a look of hesitancy battling with a look of longing.

"Could you . . . would you sit with me again? Like you did before?" she asked.

Ulquiorra was tired himself, so he would have preferred to go immediately to his own room and sleep likewise, but her words from earlier returned to remind him that he had a duty: Aizen-sama had ordered him to be kind to her, and he had not yet rescinded that order. What she was now asking was not difficult, nor was it unreasonable, therefore he should oblige her. Stifling a sigh, he stepped forward and sat down, leaving his hand in her grasp. To his confusion, the woman then moved closer to him, laying her head on his knee. She then looked up at him with a wan smile.

"I don't believe that it was all pretend," she whispered, then closed her eyes.

 _Foolish woman_ , Ulquiorra thought. _How can she suppose me to be genuine, when she has been told that it is not so? She is deluding herself._

As he considered thus, he remembered Aizen-sama's word from when he was first given this assignment: _"The human mind cannot conceive of there being absolutely nothing, that is, perfect emptiness. No human would be able to comprehend you, Ulquiorra."_

Perhaps that was the answer: she refused to believe what was before her because she could not comprehend it. He watched her as her breathing slowed. He had tried himself to understand these humans, and he still could not claim that he did so. Their words and actions so often made no sense. Could it be that she had as much difficulty understanding him as he had understanding her? The difference, he realized, was that she thought that she _did_ understand him. In time, he determined to show her how very wrong she was. But not yet. For now, he had to continue to pretend to be what he was not.

Ulquiorra found it suddenly difficult to keep his own eyes open. He was tired; he longed to go to his own chambers to sleep. Observing the woman, it appeared that she was now asleep herself, so he ought to be able to move her off of him without waking her. Perhaps he should wait a few more minutes, just to be sure.

* * *

The next morning, Orihime awoke slowly, not feeling fully rested. She started to roll over, but then a ghostly white hand slid from her shoulder down to her face. With a gasp, she jerked herself into a sitting position. She then remembered.

There, at the end of the couch, still in a sitting position, though with his head lying on one side against the back of the couch, was Ulquiorra, fast asleep. Had he stayed there all night? Clearly he had.

Orihime felt a blush across her cheeks as she remembered that she had been the one to ask him to stay. She hadn't meant that he needed to stay the entire night! Still, perhaps he had been tired and had fallen asleep by accident.

 _Of course, he was!_ Orihime scolded herself. _Don't you remember what a horrible day he had? He probably wanted to go to bed too, and I asked him to stay here. Why was I so selfish? I didn't think about it. Poor Ulquiorra-kun! I'll let him sleep now. He'd probably sleep better if he was lying down, but I think that he'd wake up if I tried to do that. He doesn't look comfortable though. What should I do?_

He didn't look comfortable, but, as Orihime observed him, she realized that he didn't look _uncomfortable_ either.

 _He looks just like he does when he's awake, except that his eyes are shut_ , she thought. _Everything else about his face is the same. But it's always the same, really. It never changes._

From long ago, Orihime remembered her brother Sora warning her about making an ugly face: "Watch out! Your face might freeze that way."

 _It's almost like Ulquiorra-kun's face froze that way, and now he can't move it_. Orihime pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle at that thought. _He needed a big brother to warn him!_

Just then, the door opened, and a Fraccion entered with a meal cart. He seemed surprised to see the two of them sitting there as they were, but Orihime just put a finger to her lips, indicating that he should stay quiet. The other looked confused at first, then uncertain and uncomfortable next. Probably he was trying to decide whether his superior would want to be awoken or would _not_ want to be awoken. Finally deciding on the latter, he set the meal on the little table and left the room.

Orihime turned back to her guard. He looked almost peaceful. Almost.

 _He looks sad,_ she thought suddenly. She had never noticed it before, but Ulquiorra-kun did look sad. Maybe it was because his eyes were so absorbing (and sometimes overwhelming) that she had never noticed anything else when he would look at her. She had thought before that the markings on his face looked like tracks from tears, but she had never imagined him actually crying. _I wonder whether he cries green tears, and his face is really stained from crying alone,_ she thought. _I wonder whether he really is sad. At Urahara-san's shop, he said that he didn't know what kindness was. Does that mean that no one has ever been kind to him? Maybe that's why he's so cold._

Almost without thinking, she reached forward and took his cold, white hand in hers. She pressed it to her face, wishing that she could warm him somehow.

 _I wonder what would have happened if we had stayed at Urahara-san's shop. I wonder what would happen if he had real friends. I know that he has other Hollows here like him, but they all seem so mean! I still can't believe that they would almost kill him for a joke. That's horrible! Does he have any real friends? Maybe he's never had a friend. I wonder if he would smile if he did. Ulquiorra-kun, have you ever smiled?_

In that moment, Orihime decided that she would make it her goal to see him smile. After all, he had been told that he had to make her happy; why shouldn't she do the same thing, but for him? She found herself suddenly consumed with curiosity as to what he would look like if he did smile.

Reaching forward, she pressed her thumb lightly to the corner of his mouth and started to draw it upward. In an instant, however, the Espada was awake, and Orihime squealed in surprise as she found her wrist suddenly imprisoned in a cold, iron grip while dark, slitted eyes regarded her silently. As Ulquiorra seemed to awaken fully, she thought that she noticed a faint look of surprise in his gaze.

"Well, you're awake," she chirped, an idea coming to her mind. She stood up, drawing her hand from his grasp with a smile, and placed her hands on her hips. "I know you had a long day yesterday, so I let you sleep in, but your breakfast is here now, and you need to eat. It's your duty to Aizen-sama to stay healthy you know."

He continued to stare at her in silence.

Orihime tried to hide her smile and to look firm as she bent forward and wagged a finger in his face. Mocking his own words from when she had first come here, she continued, "Now, you can eat your breakfast without argument, or I'll have to force it down your throat."

Although this threat had been terrifying to her when it had first been delivered by himself, when applied now to him from her perspective, it was funny. She had a hard time not laughing as she said it. Ulquiorra, however, didn't react in the slightest.

 _Come on!_ she thought. _Smile! It was a joke, and it was really funny!_

Without a word, he rose to his feet, turned, and walked toward the door.

"Wait! You––" Orihime cut off. "I . . . ."

Ulquiorra had paused and glanced back at her over one shoulder, but he still didn't speak. Not knowing what else to say, Orihime finally closed her mouth. Seeing that, Ulquiorra again turned his face forward and silently left the room.

Orihime felt her lower lip push outward in a little pout. This was going to be a challenge.

* * *

For the rest of the day, Orihime thought of her Hollow guard. Other days she usually spent thinking of her friends or thinking of the Hogyoku and how to destroy it. Today, although those thoughts came to her also, her mind was mostly consumed with Ulquiorra-kun.

Orihime had never been one who was able to watch others in pain without feeling it herself. It didn't matter whether they were friend or foe; if there was someone before her in pain, she had to do all that she could to relieve it. After she had awakened her own healing powers, she had never discriminated in their use. She would heal anyone who was injured, even if it was someone who wanted to hurt her.

Now, as her mind turned to the pale Espada who watched over her, she couldn't help but feel that he was hurting too, deep down inside of him. After all, most of the other Arrancar that she'd met all smiled. Of course, most of them had cruel and frightening smiles, and sometimes they would look angry, but none of them ever looked sad. Why did Ulquiorra-kun always look like that? She wondered whether any of the Arrancar were actually friends with each other. Did they ever take care of each other the way that she and her friends did? It was hard to imagine such a thing among Hollows, but she wondered just the same.

No, she thought. Surely they didn't. Or, if they did, then Ulquiorra wasn't one of them. After all, he didn't even know what it meant to be nice to someone. That truly made Orihime sad.

 _Somehow,_ she promised herself again. _Somehow, I will show Ulquiorra-kun what it means to be happy; to smile. Somehow._

She wasn't given the opportunity that day, however. Her lunch was brought, but he didn't come. Her dinner was delivered, but he didn't come. Even when she finally lay down to sleep, he didn't come.

 _Did something happen to him?_ she wondered, as she drifted off to sleep. _Aizen-taichou wouldn't let any of them hurt him again . . . would he?_ With this unpleasant thought, she finally drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, she stood, staring out of her window, wondering what was going to happen, when a voice behind her startled her. Turning around, she saw Ulquiorra-kun, come at last. As she looked at him, however, all thoughts from the day previous left her. In his eyes, she saw only hardness. Something in his stance and expression chilled her also, so that she suddenly felt as cold as he looked.

Looking her in the eye with his characteristically unfeeling expression, he said simply, "Your friends have come."

* * *

 **A/N: Yes, there will be one final chapter. Even though it's going to follow the anime storyline almost exactly, I'm having trouble writing it. I don't know when it will be finished. Rest assured, however, that I do intend to finish. I'm not going to leave it like this.  
**

 **Thank you for reading. I do enjoy reviews, both positive and negative. That's how writers learn what readers enjoy.**


	8. Chapter 8: The Final Battle

**Chapter 8: The Final Battle**

 **A/N:** **Strap in for the final installment. This has been the most difficult chapter I've ever written, and I've actually written quite a bit. I struggled through the first half like you wouldn't believe! Hopefully it isn't too choppy, and hopefully the second half will make up for it.**

* * *

The day had passed in a blur of joy and terror, hope and despair, fulfillment and loss. As Orihime stood on the dome of Las Noches with Ishida at her side, she couldn't believe it had been only a matter of hours since Ulquiorra had told her that her friends had invaded Hueco Mundo. When she had heard it, her first thought was of sadness. Why had they come? Surely they would all die now, and it would be her own fault!

Chad's reiatsu had been the first to vanish. Even so, Orihime had refused to believe that he was dead. It couldn't be!

Next had been Rukia. Orihime had continued to cling to her hope that everything would somehow be alright. After all, they had come through so much together! They had worked together to save Rukia from the Soul Society, and they had succeeded! She couldn't die now!

Then, when she had felt Kurosaki-kun's reiatsu fade, Orihime had felt her own heart sink into despair. It couldn't be! Even when all else failed, even when everyone else gave up, Kurosaki-kun would overcome everything! He could never die!

As she looked at the horror before her eyes now, she felt tears of bitterness and despair again. He could not die; he could not be defeated; but now, for the first time, she wished that he could.

* * *

 _Flashback:_

 _Orihime struggled to reject the dark spiritual pressure that flooded Kurosaki-kun's injuries. It was so dark and powerful! It frightened her._

 _"Who did this?" she murmured._

 _"Ulquiorra," replied Grimmjow with a scowl._

 _Orihime gasped. No! she thought. It couldn't be! As she continued to work, however, she felt that it must be so. She hadn't recognized the reiatsu, but she saw now that she should have. It was dark and horrible, but it bore strong traces of that of her Hollow guard. Orihime realized that it was more that she didn't want to believe it then that she couldn't sense it._

 _Her thoughts turned to the Espada and how she had wanted to show him kindness; to help him to understand what it meant to be human. But then this had happened! Orihime knew that if she had to choose between Kurosaki-kun and Ulquiorra-san, she wouldn't hesitate! She might feel sorry for the Espada; she might pity him; but he was not her friend, her protector, the one who would always be there for her. That position always had and always would belong to Kurosaki-kun alone._

* * *

How had she been so blind as to not see what had happened to him?

No, she told herself. She hadn't been blind. She had closed her eyes. After all, she had seen it.

When he fought with Yami, the first time that the Espada came to Earth: the first time that she ever saw Ulquiorra. She had sensed the darkness in Kurosaki-kun even then. She had pushed it aside, choosing to ignore it at the time. After all, there was a greater threat then.

Later, in his battle with Grimmjow, she had seen first-hand the horrible, dark power of his Hollow transformation. It had terrified her. Through the encouragement and scolding of the little Hollow child at her side, she had again thrust aside her fears and had called encouragement to him, her true protector.

The terror that was before her now was not something new; it was him. It was what she had seen him becoming. And it was worse than the Espada.

Of the two terrible beings now fighting before her, both had sworn to protect her. But now both were fighting to kill one another, and she felt, somehow, that this time, no matter which one won, there would be no true victory.

* * *

 _Flashback:_

 _"This heart, of which you speak. If I tore open your chest, would I see it? If I broke your skull, would I see it there?"_

 _Orihime shuddered at the images conjured up by his words, but, as she looked into his eyes, she knew that these were not threats. He was not going to hurt her. He was merely . . . asking a question; a question to which she had no answer._

Why can't you see? _she implored silently._ Why can't you see my heart? I've shown it to you again and again. Why can't you see it?

 _She gazed into the great abyss that was his eyes: that vast expanse of emerald that seemed as though it could swallow all of creation and yet still remain empty. Why was there nothing there? He had told her that what she had seen before_ _kindness, caring, humanity_ _all of it had been her own imagination, placed into him by her own mind. But, if so, if she had placed it there, then why had not any of it stayed there?_

Ulquiorra-kun _, she wanted to cry._ My heart has been before you; I put a piece of my heart into you also. Just look inside. It must be there, somewhere!

 _As she gazed into his never-faltering stare, pleading silently with him to understand, she seemed to catch a glimpse, the smallest spark, of something there within the expanse of emptiness. Yes! There was something there! She had seen it! Somehow, somewhere, there truly was something there._

 _A massive crash shook the room as a section of the wall was blown away to allow the entrance of a wild-eyed young man. Standing there, grasping his sword, panting from exertion and extreme emotion, Kurosaki Ichigo was the polar opposite of the Hollow whose gaze he now held._

 _"Step away from Inoue," he said in as calm a voice as he was able, clearly fighting to keep his own emotions in check._

 _"I was about to do so," replied Ulquiorra, his own voice the perfect image of calmness. With him, it was not forced; it was natural. He had no emotions fighting against his self-control. "Aizen-sama has not ordered that she be killed," he continued, "therefore I shall allow her to live. You, on the other hand, are a different matter. Killing you is synonymous with defending Las Noches."_

* * *

The battle had been frightening from the beginning. Orihime had hated to watch, but she couldn't bring herself to turn away. And then Ishida had come. After defeating Yami, he had come and stood beside her, promising Kurosaki-kun that he would keep her safe. Seeing the look in Kurosaki's eyes as he turned back to the enemy in front of himself, she had known that the battle that they had been fighting up to that point had been no more than a simple sparring match. Now, it was about to start in earnest.

* * *

 _Flashback:_

 _"Don't worry, Inoue-san," Ury_ _ū said soothingly as they both looked up at the hole in the sky through which Kurosaki-kun and Ulquiorra had vanished. "Kurosaki will win."_

 _Orihime could only nod, offering him a forced smile. She knew that Kurosaki would win. He always won. But, somehow, she was afraid. As the world around them began to shake from the terrible force of the battle above them, she knew that she couldn't stay here, doing nothing. Kurosaki had not won his first fight with Ulquiorra, but he had risen to fight again, because she had healed him. He had barely won his fight with Grimmjow, but he had risen to fight again, because she had healed him. Now, somehow, she knew that she had to be by his side. In this fight, she knew that he would win; but she had to be there for him._

 _"Ishida-kun," she said, turning to the Quincy at her side. "With your abilities, can you take me to the roof? Please."_

* * *

Even now, as she watched the continuing horror, worse than anything she could have imagined, she knew that she had to be here. She would have preferred to be somewhere ─ anywhere ─ else, but she had to be here.

She and Uryū had arrived above the dome in time to see the beginning of the horror. Ulquiorra, no longer appearing as the cool Espada with whom she'd become familiar and indeed friendly, now in the form of an absolute nightmare, had held a near-lifeless Kurosaki by the neck as he prepared to deliver the final blow. Sensing their presence, he had paused, turned, and taken the time to quietly inform them of what he was about to do.

There was nothing that they could do to stop him. With the same calm composure he always displayed, Ulquiorra had blasted a massive hole through Kurosaki's chest before tossing the young substitute Shinigami's body down to the level of his friends.

In mindless terror and disbelief at what she had just witnessed, Orihime had rushed toward him, sending her Santen Kisshun ahead to break his fall. Then, as if it could not get worse, Uyrū had thrown himself into the path of Ulquiorra's overwhelming reiatsu in order to allow Orihime time to heal Kurosaki's injuries.

How long was it? A few minutes? Less? Uryū too was on the ground, his hand torn from his body, gasping for breath, as the Cuatro Espada slowly and calmly approached him. Orihime threw her shield between them, but Ulquiorra shattered it with a single flick of his tail. He didn't even pause.

Kurosaki still wasn't moving. Uryū had only moments to live. Orihime felt that her heart would rip her apart from the inside as her emotions swelled up into a scream of anguish. Kurosaki-kun! Ishida-kun! Everyone! Why couldn't she do anything? Why couldn't she help? Kurosaki-kun!

 _Kurosaki-kun!_

But the one who rose suddenly at her side, distracting Ulquiorra from the prey in front of him, wasn't Kurosaki-kun. The white Hollow mask; the Hierro-like armor; the lifeless, empty eye-sockets; above all, the inhuman cry that erupted from the creature's throat. Whatever it was, it wasn't Kurosaki-kun.

Then, as Orihime and Ishida crouched to one side, trying to protect themselves from the debris and overwhelming reiatsu, the two Hollow warriors engaged in the most violent and horrific battle Orihime had ever imagined.

* * *

He was losing. He was losing to a human-Shinigami-Hollow. Ulquiorra had never imagined the possibility. He knew that he was not the strongest of the Espada; he knew too that his Shinigami master and his two assistants were more powerful than he was. But a human?

As the Zanpakutō slashed through his chest, tearing flesh and bone, Ulquiorra's only thought was, "Impossible."

The cold ground rose up to meet him as his thin body slammed heavily into it. The whole world slowed and every sense was heightened as he felt his own life slipping from him. _Impossible._

"I can't believe I have lost . . . to a human with a Hollow transformation," he breathed. "The very idea . . . is ludicrous."

The fearsome beast stepped forward, looking down at his fallen foe through empty, hollow eye-sockets. Ulquiorra looked back at him calmly. He had been defeated. He would now die. It was as it should be. The strong must live by defeating the weak. The weak must die as they deserved. He was weak; he was defeated; he was . . . trash.

The massive foot came crashing down on Ulquiorra's skull as if to drive home the fact that Kurosaki was now the master, the strongest. Ulquiorra did not react. If the human-Hollow wished to flaunt his strength, it was of no concern to the Espada. He had accepted his fate. Moving only his eyes to look at the being standing above him, he saw as the latter charged a powerful cero.

"I see," he murmured approvingly. "No mercy? How like a Hollow."

The glowing, red orb grew, but the Hollow above him didn't release it yet. The bony, white grin seemed intent on driving the fear and despair into its victim, much as Ulquiorra's second release was meant to do to his. In this case, however, the action was ineffective. Ulquiorra had nothing to fear. Not even death.

"Do it," he said simply. "I have no reason to live. You have defeated me."

The cero swirled angrily, reaching its full strength. Even so, Ulquiorra continued to look up at him calmly, neither showing nor feeling fear.

"Kill me," he intoned, as emotionless as ever.

His world then seemed to explode as the cero was fired, tearing through his body and disintegrating it entirely.

* * *

Orihime cried out in horror, activating her Santen Kesshun as the blast radius reached them. Ishida's remaining hand was on her shoulder, showing that he would protect her if he could, but even he could not have escaped the fury of Kurosaki-Hollow's attack. The power was immeasurable. Orihime felt herself wanting to cry at the horror of what was happening before her. Why was Kurosaki like this? He was never one to slaughter his foes after they had been defeated. Ulquiorra had been defeated! Why had he released such a terrible attack on one who couldn't even fight back?

The dust slowly cleared, and Orihime raised her eyes to look at the man whom she had thought was here to protect her. She felt tears forming as she tried to block from her mind what he had just done. Those same tears, however, were suddenly forgotten as absolute horror came over her. Far from being finished, Kurosaki lifted the fragment of a body that still remained of the Espada and threw it unceremoniously across the ground.

No! This couldn't be happening! Orihime could see that one tattered wing, a single black-furred arm, a bit of his chest, and the lifeless, black-haired head of her one-time guard remained intact after the blast. The nausea she felt, both at seeing that and at seeing the way that Kurosaki treated the remains of his fallen foe were enough to make her retch. She stared, unbelieving, as Kurosaki slowly walked forward again. What could he mean to do?! Surely not!

Lifting his Zanpakutō, Kurosaki slowly lowered the blade toward the pure white neck, exposed now beneath him. The dreadful mask seemed to grin in cruel pleasure as the empty eye-sockets observed the remains that he was about to desecrate.

Suddenly, a hand took hold of the wrist above the sword.

"That's enough, Kurosaki," breathed Ishida, seeming to be trying to suppress the absolute disgust that he himself felt at this sight. "The battle is over. He was our enemy, but there's no reason to mutilate his corpse."

There was no response from the human-Hollow. It ignored Ishida, its attention remaining on the lifeless bit of flesh at its feet.

"I said enough, Kurosaki!" exclaimed Ishida.

In response, Kurosaki-Hollow simply tightened his grip on his sword and tried to force it downward, despite Ishida's restraining grasp.

"Can you hear me, Kurosaki?!" demanded Ishida. "It's time to stop! Do this, and you truly will no longer be human!"

The sword moved closer and closer to the neck of the defenseless form at their feet as Kurosaki continued to ignore his friend's pleas.

"Don't!" cried Ishida, struggling to restrain his friend with only one hand. "Kurosaki!"

Suddenly, Ichigo threw Ishida away from himself, the Zanpakutō following as it pierced the Quincy through the chest.

"Ishida-kun!" screamed Orihime in horror.

At the sound of her voice, something changed in Kurosaki. Orihime watched as he seemed suddenly to struggle within himself. He muttered something slowly, as if trying to speak. Straining her ears to hear, Orihime thought she could catch his words.

"I . . . will . . . save . . . you."

 _It's my fault_ , she thought in horror. _Kurosaki-kun's trying to save me . . . because I called to him._ Tears again filled her eyes. _Why? I didn't want to get in his way, so I trained myself. I wanted to protect him, so I came here alone. So why? Why do I always have to call for his help in the end?_

As she fought against the guilt and horror in her own mind, realizing that she had created the aberration that Kurosaki had become, she saw him walking slowly forward, now approaching Ishida with the same intent to kill. Ishida was half-collapsed on the ground, the Zanpakutō piercing completely through his body, unable to move. He lifted his eyes to see his friend, standing above him, as the latter again charged a cero.

"Wait, Kurosaki-kun!" screamed Orihime. _I have to stop him!_ "Kurosaki-kun!" _This is my fault._ "Kurosaki-kun!"

It was useless. He was beyond hearing. Orihime realized that she had created a worse nightmare than any she could imagine: she was now forced to watch helplessly as one of her closest friends brutally murdered his own friend before her eyes, not even aware of what he was doing.

There was nothing she could do to stop it. Kurosaki had become a monster far worse than even the Espada, and there was no longer anyone who could stop him.

As if her own wishes had taken form once more, she saw suddenly a pale figure appear behind Kurosaki's masked head. Impossible! It was Ulquiorra!

The Espada lifted a green blade and calmly sliced through one of the horns of Kurosaki's mask, disrupting the charging cero. Almost immediately, the cero exploded, engulfing Kurosaki-Hollow in it.

* * *

When Ulquiorra had regained consciousness, his first thought had been one of confusion. How was he still aware? A Hollow slain by a Zanpakutō would be sent either to Soul Society or to Hell, but he had not been so slain. Kurosaki had killed him with a cero. A Hollow who is killed by another Hollow would be eaten and so become a part of the conquering Hollow, strengthening it. The one consumed would lose all sense of identity and would exist only as an extension of the other's strength. Kurosaki had bested him; Kurosaki was stronger; if he had consumed Ulquiorra, then Ulquiorra should no longer be aware. How was he so?

He then felt that his body was slowly regenerating itself. _Impossible._ He knew that Kurosaki's attack had destroyed his body; it wasn't possible that it could be rebuilt. Even so, his reiatsu was fighting against death itself to rebuild the broken body of the Cuatro Espada.

 _So it ends,_ he thought. _My reiatsu is fighting against death. But it will not last._

He found that he could move. Soon he would probably be able stand, seeing that one leg was partially regenerated already. But what reason would there be to do so? He could not defeat the powerful Hollow that Kurosaki had become. He was weak. He was dying. There was nothing that he could do.

Suddenly, Ulquiorra heard the woman scream.

 _She is in danger,_ the thought broke through to him. _I must protect her. It is my duty, and I must not fail._

Leaping into the air on instinct alone, he formed a reiatsu spear with his still-whole right hand. Kurosaki stood with his back to the Espada, charging a second cero. Now was his only chance! He sonidoed forward on broken, half-formed legs and swung the green blade, breaking the human-Hollow's mask. With the support gone, the cero instantly became unstable, as Ulquiorra had known that it would, and erupted in a massive explosion, fully encompassing the human-Hollow within it.

Ulquiorra had thrown himself back from the blast, landing on his right leg, now fully reformed. The weapon he had created remained ready in his hand. Although he needed his strength now to maintain the regeneration, yet he also knew that he must be prepared in case Kurosaki survived the blast. At this point, Ulquiorra had to admit that anything was possible.

As the dust cleared, he saw the human-Hollow still standing, but no strength seemed to remain in the mighty body. Before his eyes, the Hollow mask cracked and shattered. The human face of Kurosaki Ichigo, pale as death, appeared again. Without a word, without a breath, Kurosaki fell forward to the ground.

The woman cried out his name, rushing to the side of her would-be rescuer, as Ulquiorra watched in silence. The hole which Ulquiorra had blown through the boy's chest was still there: no longer a Hollow hole, only a visual reminder that it was not possible that the human part of him was still alive.

Ulquiorra allowed his weapon to dissipate. It was over. They would both die here together: the Cuatro Espada and his mortal enemy. He found it ironic that although he had killed Kurosaki, the latter had then come back to kill him also, and yet Ulquiorra would still be the one to watch his enemy die first, knowing that he himself would soon follow.

His reiatsu had met a stalemate with the forces of death which still sought to consume him. It held firm, still fighting, still trying to regenerate his body, but the forces were now evenly matched. His left arm was only a stump. His left leg was barely a stick, ready to be snapped by the slightest pressure. His right leg and torso were reformed, but it was no more than a farce. It would not last. The destroyed organs could not be restored. It was only a matter of time.

As he watched the woman weeping over her fallen friend, he felt something stir within him. She had cried for him once also, when she thought that he was dying. At that time, she thought that he had given his life to protect her. Now, seeing that he had given his life to defeat her friend, he knew that she would never cry for him again. He was her enemy. He was not her protector. Although he had roused himself from near death to protect her just now, it was purely instinctual. As soon as he could think clearly, he had remembered that he no longer had need to protect her. And yet, seeing her cry, he wondered whether he would _want_ to protect her, if she was again in danger.

These thoughts were interrupted as the remaining pieces of Hollow armor that encased parts of Kurosaki's body shattered suddenly into dust, rising above his body in a glowing, swirling mass. It hovered over him for an instant then dove downward, filling the gaping hole in his chest. When the glow dissipated, the hole was gone.

 _Was that . . . instant regeneration?_ thought Ulquiorra. It seemed impossible, but, with this human, was anything beyond the pale of possibility? Apparently not, for, as he watched, the human before him suddenly lifted himself from the ground.

He was alive.

Another Hollow would have cursed at the impossibility of his enemy rising as if from the dead. Another Hollow would have railed against the injustices of fate. Another Hollow would have erupted in anger and fury, knowing that no matter what he did, his enemy would survive while he himself would die. But Ulquiorra was not such a one. Ulquiorra was unique. He knew that fate was whatever hand was dealt and that to fight against it was futile.

Fate had decreed that he would die here. But fate had also given him a little more time. The force of death and the remaining force of his own reiatsu were deadlocked in the battle to maintain or to destroy his body. It was only a matter of time, he knew, before his reiatsu gave way and the force of death conquered. He had a little time, but only a little.

Kurosaki had risen to his feet, looking at his Quincy friend in shock. Ulquiorra could see that the boy's Zanpakutō had stabbed the other clean through the chest. He hadn't seen what had happened, but he could guess. From the look of horror in Kurosaki's eyes, he saw that the latter seemed to be reaching the same conclusion. Ulquiorra, however, had no interest in the boy's emotions.

"You're resilient," he commented, loudly enough to catch Kurosaki's attention.

The human turned to him, staring at him with a look of terror in his eyes. At another time, the look would have been gratifying. Just now, however, Ulquiorra found it . . . ironic.

"Ulquiorra," breathed Kurosaki.

Ulquiorra didn't answer. A simple, short sonido carried him to the Quincy. He took hold of the Zanpakutō without a word, withdrew it, and threw it into the ground at the feet of its owner.

"Take it," he ordered. "Let's finish this."

Rather than pick up his sword, however, Kurosaki spoke. "Was I the one who stabbed Ishida?" he asked.

Even if Ulquiorra could be sure of the answer, he wouldn't have given it. What difference did it make? It was of no consequence.

"It doesn't matter," he replied coldly, forming again his green, glowing spear. _Prepare yourself,_ he thought. _You no longer have your Hollow powers. Will you outlast me? Or will we indeed both die here today?_

"Did I cut off your arm and leg too?" asked Kurosaki, still making no move to pick up his sword.

 _He is wasting time,_ thought Ulquiorra. _Can he know what is happening to me?_

Seeing that Ulquiorra didn't answer, Kurosaki continued, "Then cut off mine!"

Ulquiorra was startled. Was the boy serious? His spear dissipated as he turned to look the other fully in the eye.

"I was unconscious when I fought you in that Hollow form," continued Kurosaki. "It wasn't me! It won't be a fair fight unless I'm in the same state as you!"

 _The same state?_ thought Ulquiorra. _How can you know in what state I am now? You are a fool._

The Quincy was quick to protest, insisting that this action would be suicide on the part of his friend. He begged Kurosaki to see reason, but the boy ignored him. Ulquiorra and his enemy looked only at one another, not speaking.

At last, seeing that this was the only way that Kurosaki would fight with him, Ulquiorra agreed.

"Very well," he said. "I shall comply, if that is your wish."

Before he could even reform his spear, however, he felt it: his reiatsu had collapsed completely.

It was over.

Turning his head, he watched calmly as his one remaining wing began to dissolve into ash as the force of death began its slow work of consuming him. He had nothing in him to fight back against it. His strength was completely gone.

"Tch," he muttered stoically, "Am I that far gone?"

The three humans before him all watched the gradual decay with expressions of wonder and horror. Indifferent to their reactions, Ulquiorra looked only at the substitute Shinigami before him. The fight was not finished. They were both still alive.

"Kill me," he ordered.

Kurosaki gasped.

"Quickly," continued Ulquiorra, focusing all of his strength on keeping himself upright. "I no longer have the strength to walk. You'll never finish the fight if you don't kill me now."

Kurosaki's jaw trembled. "No," he breathed.

"What did you say?" asked Ulquiorra in a low voice.

"I won't do it," replied Kurosaki, a look of pain coming over his face. "I . . . I don't want to win like this!"

Ulquiorra stared at him in surprise. Pity? From a human-Shinigami? For an Espada? How could such a thing be? This boy was part Hollow. He was also part Shinigami. There should be no pity, no mercy, especially for a Hollow. As his strength continued to fade, Ulquiorra could do nothing more than sigh in defeat. There wasn't even time to ask him to explain. But, then again, there was no longer any need to ask. It didn't matter now.

"To the end," he murmured, "you never did as expected."

To his right he saw movement. Turning his head, he saw the woman rise to her feet, watching him as he died. He was now a monster; he had tried to destroy the one man for whom she seemed to care above all others. He would have destroyed her too, had Aizen ordered it, and she now knew that. There was no pity, no mercy, in his own eyes. There never had been. And yet, it seemed to him that there was pity in hers. Pity for _him_. And now he was dying.

"Just as I was becoming interested in you people," he remarked.

Perhaps there was still time for one question.

Reaching out his single remaining hand with all of the strength he yet had, he asked simply, " _Onna_ , do I frighten you?"

* * *

Orihime watched as Ulquiorra's body continued to dissipate into the wind. He still stood, looking at her. He even spoke, asking her a question. Even in death, his question was simple: it was no challenge, no mockery, no trick. He was asking her to explain, to grant him knowledge. He wanted to understand her.

"Do I frighten you?"

As the tears formed in her eyes, she thought over the days that they had spent together, the conversations, the questions that had passed between them. Had he ever known kindness? Love? Joy? No. He had not. The only thing he knew was fear: fear of others, fear of himself, the fear that he instilled in others, perhaps even fear of not understanding.

"Do I frighten you?" _Do you fear also? Or do you still believe that I am kind?_

Orihime had wanted nothing more than to show this condemned being what it meant to know love, pity, kindness, without fear. She had tried. As she looked at him, she knew that she had failed. He still did not understand. But even now, as death closed over him, he was still trying to understand.

"No," she whispered, "I'm not afraid."

His eyes softened.

"I see," he said simply.

His strength seemed to fade, and it seemed that it was now difficult to keep his hand outstretched. She saw that it was about to fall back to his side. Stepping quickly forward, she reached out her own hand to take his in hers.

But she grasped only ash.

The pure white hand dissolved into ash, moving up to encompass the rest of his body likewise. Orihime fought back the tears as she looked into his deep eyes for what she knew was the last time. He returned her gaze. A new expression gradually touched his eyes then, as he seemed at last to understand. Then, as she watched, as his body began to disappear, just for a moment, Ulquiorra smiled peacefully.

"I see."

* * *

 _ **Author's Note**_ _ **: I HATE sad endings! That's why this story was originally supposed to end with Chapter 6. My lovely reviewers convinced me to finish the arc, however, and I'm now glad that they did so. I do believe that it makes the story more complete.**_

 _ **I have begun a sequel where Ulquiorra comes back. No, Orihime does not "heal" him here; she does not save him; he does not become human; and he does not "find his heart" in a physical sense. In this chapter, I've hinted at what I'm going to use, but I doubt that anyone will catch it. (If you do, kudos!) It is called "The Purpose of Life" and the first few chapters are up at this time.  
**_

 _ **Thank you for your time and attention. I hope that you've enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.**_


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